Eyes of Ivy
by WastelandRose
Summary: A young runaway escaping an abusive home finds herself in the care of the Marauders. Follow her story as she learns about life, love, and dangers she never knew she was carrying in her own blood.
1. Part 1: Obituaries

Part 1 - Obituaries

So, it's come to my attention that you wanna hear about my life.

Where do I even begin?

The beginning. Right. Why didn't I think of that?

Oh ya, I guess I did...

Born April 21st, 1970, in Santa Monica, California, to Noah and Rose Sennen, my early childhood was what you might call happy. That's certainly how I remember it, all bedtime stories and Barbie dolls, up until I was nine-years-old. January 1st, 1980, 1:17 AM, to be exact.

But hey, who's counting?

That morning, at 1:15 AM, Ray Sarnecki exited Sharky's Pub, laughing loudly as he called his good byes to the bartender and stumbled to his car. His blood alcohol level was .15, far above the legal limit. Just two minutes later, Noah Barrett Sennen ceased to be.

Quote from the obituary of my twenty-seven year old father:

_Death was instantaneous. He is survived by his wife, and nine-year-old daughter._

They were only half right. When Ray Sarnecki jumped the curb on 5th street, crushing my father's body between the front his red BMW and a solid brick wall, he also crushed the home pregnancy test that my father ventured out that New Year's Eve to buy.

Addendum to the obituary of my twenty-seven year old father:

_He is also survived by the two fetuses that will, in eight months time, be his infant son and daughter._

After my father died, my mother had a breakdown. She attended his funeral, laying a handful of ivy on his grave (I'm told that it held some special meaning to them), and then she went home, and carved his name into her thigh.

She stopped living when he died. For eight months, I took care of her, doing everything for her, cooking, cleaning, shopping, and numerous other mundane chores that I was nowhere near old enough to be handling, but took on anyways because she was nowhere near fit. The worst, of course, was dealing with my mother herself. We fought. A lot.

I would beg her to get out of bed. She would tell me to mind my own damn business.

I would try to convince her to eat. She would yell at me for touching the stove, and refuse anything I put in front of her.

I would try to convince her to go see a doctor. She would throw things at me.

And then there was that final epic battle over whether or not I was gonna be able to haul her ass up out of that bed and drag her to a hospital to deliver my brother and sister. The phone had been cut off months ago, and we were living in a different, far crappier apartment where the neighbors had a strict policy of not displaying even the slightest of human courtesies, so there was no hope of getting an ambulance.

I tried to talk some sense into her. She cried, and screamed, and threw things at me for hours because she couldn't stand the sight of me.

Apparently, I have my father's eyes.

In the end, I lost that epic battle.

On October 23rd, 1980, 11:58 AM, I had the _delightful_ privilege of being on the receiving end of a pink, screaming ball of goo who immediately proceeded to pee on me. At the time, I called him You Little Bastard. Later, the legal name Noah Barrett Sennen, Jr, was bestowed upon him.

On October 24th, 1980, 12:02 AM, almost exactly four minutes later, but still, oddly enough, on a different day and an entirely different zodiac sign, I once again got to venture into my mother's nethers and play catcher. As well as a fourth kick to the head, I came away from it with a second sibling, a little girl, who was even gooier than Noah, screamed three times as loud, and made yanking hard on one of the pigtails I was sporting that morning her first post-uterine act. She later became known as Judith Harper Sennen.

I made absolute sure that I had their times of birth right (I always was a bit weird with stuff like that, which I suppose you've figured out already), and I bundled them up, and took them to the hospital. I never saw my mother again.

The police came for her, but she wouldn't leave the apartment. There was still blood running down her thighs when she signed the papers to surrender her parental rights to all three of us.

To this day, even after everything I've been through, I don't blame her at all. Her soul died with my father. Unfortunately, the rest of her wasn't lucky enough for instantaneous. It was only last year I found out that on March 14th, 1984, 3:27 PM, Santa Monica PD received a call about a strong, pungent odor coming out of a third floor apartment.

At 5:01 PM, they pronounced her dead, even though it was _quite_ clear that she had died some days, possibly even weeks, before that.

Quote from the obituary of my twenty-nine-year-old mother:  
_Rose May Sennen, reportedly a shut-in for the past two years, was found in her bedroom, hanging by her neck from the ceiling._

I _really_ could've done without knowing that, but it's not like it surprises me.

I never cried. Did I mention that? Ya, guess I didn't. Not when my father died. Not once as I watched my mother make her downward spiral. Not even after I slowly came to the realization while sitting in the hospital waiting room with the horse-faced social worker that they were going to place me, Noah, and Judy each in a different home, and we would probably never see each other again.

You might say I'm heartless.

I say I'm dead inside.

There's a big difference.

Anyways, that last part wasn't even worth crying over, because it turned out that we weren't split up. That's where Jeremiah and Bernadette Cramner came in.

I'm still not sure exactly how they were related to us, but I think Uncle J was a second cousin, twice removed, on my father's side... Or something like that.

Uncle J was awesome. Ever since the first second I met him, he always had this real big, dopey smile plastered on his face. He was tall, like 7'2", and skinny as a lamppost, and, even though he was a grown man, already pushing sixty when I met him, he still moved like an awkward, lanky teenager. He had big, saucer-ish ears that always stuck out at near right angles from underneath his shaggy mop of salt-and-pepper hair, and his eyes were an incredibly dark brown that made his pale skin seem even paler by comparison. He loved licorice, and he loved basketball, and he loved _me_.

If it had just been him, life would've been perfect. I might've even had to do something about resurrecting my insides and making an attempt at becoming an emotionally well-adjusted individual. But, alas, there was to be no fun experimentation with inner-zombie-ism for me. There was Aunt Bernadette.

Ah yes, that ever-present, blue-haired tub of slime that made it quite clear she hated me from the start. See, the thing was that she was sterile. Her and Uncle J couldn't have kids of their own, had tried for over forty years without success. Receiving word that a distant relative was willing to plop two newborns into her lap was like a dream come true. Or, would've been if Uncle J hadn't insisted that they take me along with the terrible twosome.

I wasn't hers. Neither were Noah and Judy, but if I hadn't been there it would've been a lot easier for her to forget that fact and pretend that the bubbly pair had arrived screaming into the world from out between her legs. I, as she told me once shortly after we arrived, was a constant reminder of her failure as a woman.

Well, I guess I've depressed you enough for now, so how about we talk about something else? The twins. Even when Noah and Judy were babies I could tell the both of them were gonna be real heartbreakers when they grew up.

Noah was _so_ handsome. I don't mean to sound biased, I mean, I know I am, being his proud big sister and all, but he _really_ was! Despite still being that of a small child, his features were strong, and sharp, and he had a head of shaggy brown hair that was the same color I remembered Daddy's to be, and huge, brown eyes that you could just melt into. I knew that as soon as that kid hit puberty, he was gonna have all the girls just fawning over him.

Even if his looks weren't enough (I've got the urge to find him and pinch his chubby, freckled little cheeks just thinking about him), that personality of his would most definitely be more than sufficient to get him through life. That boy has always been sweeter than candy, and so outgoing that I've had to pull him away from random conversations with shady-looking strangers on more than one occasion. He'll march right up to anyone, young or old, tall or short, potential serial killer/pedophile or not, present his hand, and state proudly, "HI! I'm Noah! What's your name?"

Cute, huh? And he's always been very protective of Judy and me, although, she's always needed it a lot less than I do if you're going by sheer attitude. I'm strong, but in a quiet sorta way, and only because I've had to be. Even when she was little, Judy was strong, but in a far-too-bitchy-to-be-a-toddler, I-don't-care-that-I'm-puny-I'll-take-you-on-right-now sorta way.

It's because she looked so angelic, with her big blue eyes, long golden blond ringlets, and rosy little cherub cheeks. Adults and other kids underestimated her, and then they'd piss her off, and then they'd get the crap kicked out of them. Even when she was too little to do any real damage, she'd still try her hardest, and getting kicked in the shins, or having your ankles bitten hurts pretty bad.

But my little tomboy was still a sweetheart. Not to the extent of her brother, but she had her moments. I'd play catch with her for a few minutes, or put braids in her hair, and I'd get rewarded with her cute little smile, and a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

You laugh, and I kill you.

Anyways, back to my story. When Bernadette wasn't ignoring me, she was telling me how worthless I was. When she wasn't telling me how worthless I was, she was working me into the ground. When she wasn't working me into the ground, she was shutting me up for days at a time in a very small, very dark, very scary closet. I carry with me to this day the claustrophobia I acquired from her twisted punishments. Uncle J, God bless him, wasn't around much during the day, and sometimes went on week long business trips, leaving us alone with Bernadette. He never caught on. I really didn't have the heart to tell him what a bitch his wife was.

See, I told you, not heartless.

Anyways, when it comes right down to it, I suppose I owe Bernadette. However awful she was to me, she was three times as great to Noah and Judy. They got to spend the beginning of their lives in a loving, (somewhat) happy home.

Living with J and Bernadette was odd and trying, but not entirely unbearable most of the time. We had to move from Santa Monica to Paradise, this dinky little hicktown up north with just two main roads, and more trees than people. Aside from Bernadette life was alright. That is, until January 16th, 1981.

I was ten, and the twins were five months old, and it all happened really fast. J came home around 6:23 PM, like he always did. I was sitting on the living room floor. Noah was asleep in my lap, and Judy was on the couch behind me, playing with my hair. Actually, she was practicing the knot tying J had shown her the night before, but I was too beat from spending the entire day hauling bags of soil from one end of the backyard to the other (and then back again when Bernadette decided that she liked them better where they were) to care. Hey, I was just thankful she hadn't decided to put me in the closet that day.

J walked in, just like he always did, and he hung his hat on the hook by the door, like he always did, and he smiled his big dopey smile at me, like he always did, and he said, "Hey there, beautiful. How was your day?"

I felt uncomfortable at being called beautiful, like I always did, but still smiled, like I always did.

And then I lied, like I always did, "Just great Uncle J."

"Glad to hear it, honey," He said as he walked through the living room, ruffling my hair as he went for the kitchen to kiss Bernadette, like he always did. He never made it.

I didn't even know that he'd collapsed in the doorway until Bernadette screamed. I'm still not sure if he fell quietly, or if I was just so tired from all the work I did that day that I was too out of it to hear.

The paramedics pronounced him DOA at 6:39 PM. I wasn't there at the time. I'd been shoved off into Noah and Judy's room, and I was watching them, holding Noah in my arms and scolding Judy about what she did to my hair, when I heard Bernadette scream. I knew. And I looked at the clock. Like I said, 6:39.

Quote from the obituary of my sixty-two-year-old great-second-cousin, twice removed (or something like that), on my father's side:  
_Cause of death was a massive coronary episode. He was a funny, kind man, and is survived by his wife, two nieces, and nephew._

By that time, I was developing a distinct, and quite pronounced dislike for funerals. I know what you're saying, 'DUH!', right? True, but still...

In spite of all that, I never cried, and I think that just pissed Bernadette off even more. She bawled quite constantly for about two months, then she started expressing her grief in different ways, two of the most obvious and memorable ones being heavy drinking, and hitting me with her cane.

With J gone, she no longer had to worry about her hate for me leaving marks.

And leave marks she did, lots of them. I was one of the most scarred ten-year-olds I knew, not that I knew that many. As if my home life wasn't bad enough, I also got picked on at school. I was a bit of a bookworm, shy, anti-social, pessimistic, and weird... Still am...

But it was alright. I could deal with the teasing and getting beaten up at school, and I could deal with Bernadette doing the same at home, because I had always expected that she would go there eventually, and because she still loved Noah and Judy, and still treated them with all the kindness they deserved.

It wasn't until she struck Judy across the face with her cane that I decided to leave. She was drunk when she did it, and Judy _was_ being her bitchy, annoying little self, but it was still inexcusable. And it was one of the first times I had seen Judy really cry. It was heartbreaking.

Again, not heartless.

My first runaway attempt, April 15th, 1986 went horribly. The cops picked me up only five blocks from the house. I guess I stood out, a ten-year-old carrying two toddlers down the street in the middle of the night, looking blank as she realized that she had no idea where to go.

Bernadette was not kind when they returned us to her. You wanna see the scar from the six inch gash she put in my side?

Anyways, I learned from my mistake. The next time I was much better prepared. I actually had a plan. Let's just forget the part where almost none of it went as I hoped it would...


	2. Part 2: A Strange Kind of Freedom

Part 2 - A Strange Kind of Freedom

The second runaway attempt took place just after midnight on April 21st, 1981. It was my birthday present to myself.

I had been packing our things for the past week or so, and only had two bags, a mostly empty duffle that held Noah's, Judy's, and my clothes and a few of their toys, and a backpack containing everything in life I held dear, two photo albums, stuffed to near exploding with pictures of my family during happier times, a cassette of Led Zeppelin IV, a pocketknife that used to be my dad's, and a copy of my favorite book of all time, _Riding Freedom_, which was, coincidentally, the inspiration for my improved runaway plan.

It was about a girl named Charlotte Parkhurst (actually, based on her _true_ story!). Both her parents were killed when she was very small (I can SO relate to that one), and, because there was no one in the whole world that wanted her, she was brought up in an orphanage. A _boys'_ orphanage to be precise. A girl in a boys' orphanage sounds hard enough, right? Try it in the mid-1800's when women were still property.

But, despite all odds, Charlotte grew up strong, and smart, and determined, and she was better than all the boys at riding horses, which is the only thing in the world she could see herself doing with her life. Unfortunately, she would have been doomed to an eternity in the kitchen had she not had the courage to run away, setting out to make her own way in the world when she was only ten-years-old.

And she was successful, becoming an expert horse rider, a legendary stagecoach driver, _and_ the first woman _ever_ to vote in the US.

How did she do it? That night she left the orphanage, she cut off her long hair, dressed in boys' clothes, and, for the rest of her life, she pretended to be a man.

The chick is like my hero. Read the book, and you'll see why. She's just so... brave!

I remember calling up all the bravery I had in me that night as I dressed Noah and Judy in the dark of their room. They were terrified enough as it was, and I kept telling myself that I had to be strong for them, to not show just how scared I was so that they would feel safe with me. The fact that they might not be was my biggest anxiety of the whole ordeal.

Bernadette passed out just after midnight, and the second I heard the bottle she'd been drinking from fall out of her hand and hit the floor, I carried my brother and sister out into the calm spring night.

This time, I had planned ahead. A half hour and about five blocks later, I stopped at a Greyhound station. Noah and Judy were asleep by then, and I set them gently down with the duffle bag under their heads to keep them comfy on one of the concrete benches bordering the street. Then, I got to work.

I was already wearing boys' clothes, or what could pass for them anyways, a plain, baggy black t-shirt and jeans, so that part of the plan was complete. All that was left was to cut off my hair. Just like Charlotte Parkhurt, I was going to pretend to be a boy. Everyone would be looking for a girl and two toddlers, not a boy and a bulky duffle bag...

Just like in the book, I was stopped by the edge of a calm stream (it was actually a run-off for flood waters, but let me have my fantasies, ok?). It was just a few paces away from the bench, so I figured Noah and Judy would be fine while I did my thing.

I had even tied by hair into braided pigtails just for the dramatic appeal of being able to exactly recreate the scene in the book. I was quoting it from memory as I knelt down beside the murky water.

_"She found a pool near a fast-moving stream. Then she untied her ribbons, unbraided her hair, and shook it hard. It surrounded her shoulders like a woman's shawl. She leaned over and looked at herself in the water."_

I did the same, letting my unruly mane of dark, henna-brown hair fall freely around my face. I had never cut it before, and it was nearly hip-length. It was scary to imagine myself without it.

_"'Good-bye, Charlotte,' she whispered. With a trembling hand, she took and cut off a hank of hair. With every snip, long locks landed in the water and floated downstream in the strong current. She had never cared all that much about her hair, but now she ached for it as it disappeared. She dropped her hair ribbons into the water, and like silky snakes, they drifted away, too..."_

"Goody-bye, Ivy," I whispered to myself. My hair didn't really float away as I hacked it off with my pocketknife and let it drop in the sludge, it just kinda sat there. The blue ribbons I stole from Bernadette sank though.

_"She took one last look in the pool. The water reflected the image of a young boy."_

I was kind of a girlie looking young boy, and my hair was an uneven mess, but it had to do. I took one last look, letting my dark brown, nearly black eyes lock with the girlie-boy in the muddy waters' dull ones. It didn't seem real.

Anyways, I tucked the knife into the back pocket of my baggy jeans, and went to the ticket counter to purchase a ticket to Florida with money I stole out of Bernadette's wallet. I figured she owed me.

When I finally walked back to Noah and Judy they were still asleep. One at a time, I lifted them gently and, even though I'm kind of ashamed to admit it, I stuffed them into the duffle bag. You gotta do, what you gotta do.

With that done, it was supposed to be just two minutes of waiting before the bus came to take us out of town. But, because I have _the best_ luck in the world, one and a half minutes later, the trouble started.

Some of the details are still hazy from this part, because it happened _really_ fast, even before the bus arrived, so it had to have all gone down within less than thirty seconds. That's assuming, of course, that the bus was neither running early, nor late... Alright, moving on...

Something _popped,_ and a woman was suddenly standing right in front of me. It was too dark too tell much about her, but she had long blond hair, and she looked terrified.

Her eyes got even wider when she saw me. A dozen or so more pops came out of nowhere, and before I could even look past the woman to see where they were coming from, she grabbed me by the arm and pulled me to my feet, yanking me with her as she dove behind the bench, a split second before the spot I had been sitting exploded in a sudden burst of orange light and flying bits of concrete.

By that time, I was scared. Only Noah and Judy's terrified crying and struggling from inside the duffle, which I thankfully had not let go of, managed to keep me from passing out. If I wasn't there to protect them, who would?

I remember lots of people were shouting, and colorful jets of light kept soaring over my head, hitting the bench and the ground around us. The woman got hit. I only noticed because the biting grip she had on my arm was suddenly gone. I turned just in time to see her die, a kind of gasping sob, and then a sigh as her eyes rolled back into her head and her whole body went limp.

I think I screamed.

I know I started shaking her, because that's when it got even stranger. She was wearing this silver, heart-shaped pendant on a chain around her neck, and it got shaken into contact with my hand, and then, suddenly, I was flying.

It was like someone snuck up behind me, sunk their hand into my flesh, grabbed hold of my guts, and dragged me a million feet into the air. It was windy, and cold, and _so fast_. I shut my eyes and concentrated on not letting go of that duffle.

When I landed, it was dark, and the abrupt stop made my stomach lurch, even more so when the woman's body landed on top of mine. I know for sure I screamed that time.

My scream triggered a stampede, loud pounding footsteps and shouting from all directions. The lights came on. I was already surrounded.

I fought my way out from beneath the woman's body, choking on her long hair, in serious freak out mode the entire time, because, not only was I being squished by a dead person, but angry, threatening strangers were grabbing at me. Later, I realized they were trying to calm me down and pull me away from the corpse, but, at the time, I thought I was once again under attack, and I was resisting with everything in me.

Eventually, I got away from them, scrambling quickly backwards until my back hit a wall. That's when I realized I was trapped. Men and women were all around me, all looking at me, all pointing sticks at me. Of course, even then I knew that they couldn't _really_ be just plain sticks, because no one's stupid enough to threaten another person with a stick, and I definitely felt threatened.

That's when the knife found it's way into my hand, and I flicked it open with the practiced ease of a girl who's used it to scare off bullies on more than one occasion. They all took a _big_ step back.

"STAY AWAY!" I screamed, waving the knife wildly in front of myself to try to communicate that I would not hesitate to cut them open if they got close enough. And then, I couldn't breathe. In my haste to escape, I had let go of the duffle.

I could see it just a few feet in front of myself, wriggling from Noah and Judy's struggles to get out, but I didn't dare try to grab it because it was right at the feet of my attackers.

"GIVE ME MY BAG!" I demanded, gesturing to it with the knife, "NOW!"

Just my luck, it happened to be directly in front of a tall man with black hair and wire-rimmed glasses. He picked it up, fixing me with a stern look as he said, in an accent that sounded really weird, "Son, you can have this back when you put that down and tell us who you are." I did a brief mental happy dance that at least one part of my night was going according to plan, someone had mistaken me for a boy.

I swallowed hard, and my eyes flitted about nervously as the group fell into an expectant silence. Unfortunately, it was silent enough for everyone to finally hear the meek cries of, "Ivy! Ivy!" "Where are you!" coming from inside the duffle. My immediately thought was, _"Oh. Shit."_

They all turned toward the man who was holding the bag, and the man frowned as he set it down again, asking as he unzipped it, "What the bloody hell have you got in here!"

"NO!" I yelped, incredibly panicked. I didn't know what I would do if Noah and Judy were hurt. I had to get them away from these strangers. Before I realized what was happening, I suddenly found myself jumping forward with more agility and speed than I've shown before, or since that moment. Just as the man's eyes were growing wide behind his glasses from the sight of two small bodies fighting their ways out through the newly revealed escape route, I simultaneously grabbed them both, and sliced the man's upper right forearm with my knife.

He screamed, and fell backwards, clutching at the wound that was spurting blood onto the legs of the people standing around him. A woman yelled, "James!", a few others yelled, "Prongs!", and "Potter!", and I was kinda confused as to which was his real name.

In the confusion, I managed to dart away again, carrying Noah and Judy with me until my back was up against the wall once more. Despite everything going on around us, the two seemed overjoyed, which is kind of typical of them.

"Ivy!" Noah shouted with a laugh as I tried to balance the pair in my one free arm, "Whewe were you? What is 'dis pwace? And whewe did all your hair go?" (Yes, he had a speech impediment, but it was adorable) Judy scowled at me from where she was hugging tightly to my neck, squirming and making it difficult for me to not drop her, "It was dark in there! Your hair looks bad! Are we in Florida yet? I wanna go to Disneyworld! You said you'd take us!" Ok, so _maybe_ I made a few empty promises to get them to go along with our escape plan, but I was desperate!

"SHHH!" I hissed, "Be quiet. We have to-" And then it was all over. Someone shouted, and a purple jet of light hit me square in the chest. Everything went black, and the last thought I can remember having as I fell to the ground was, _"God, I hope I don't squish the twins..."_

xxXxx

When I woke up, I didn't just have a headache, I had a full body ache. Wherever I was, a bright light was on, and even though my eyes were closed, it was still hurting them. I groaned, and tried to shield them with my hands. It's then that I realized I was tied up.

Ever woken up tied to a chair? So not a pleasant experience, even if you don't happen to be someone who's evil aunt made a habit of tying them up and leaving them in dark closets all day, managing to give them both claustrophobia and issues with being restrained all at the same time.

My eyes shot open, and I screamed, struggling against the bonds. I was too freaked out for a long time to even notice where I was. Eventually though, I got light-headed, and had to calm myself down so I wouldn't pass out again. I let my head drop to my chest, squeezed my eyes shut tight, and just tried to keep breathing.

Then, I heard it, a low chuckle coming from right in front of me. I picked my head up again, and forced my eyes open.

He was sitting on the other side of a dark wood desk that was in between us, leading me to realize that we were in a small office type room with blue striped wallpaper and blue carpet. The man was smirking at me, leaning back in his chair with both feet propped lazily on the desk. I guessed he was in his early-twenties, with messy, shoulder-length black hair, misty gray eyes, high cheekbones, and a meticulously groomed goatee on his strong chin. He was wearing a leather jacket over a white t-shirt, jeans, and big, black combat boots. At the time, that's all I observed before I demanded, "Untie me!"

He laughed again, "Nuh uh." I glared, still trying to stop my heart from beating so fast and my stomach from knotting uncomfortably. "Where are Noah and Judy!" I suddenly shrieked, remembering the two babies who were depending on me, "What have you done with them! LET ME GO RIGHT NOW!"

"Calm down," He told me, also with that weird accent, sounding much to flippant and amused for my liking, "The two little ones are fine. Molly's watching them, and I think they're playing with Harry, Ron, and Neville."

That sentence had too many meaningless names thrown in at one time. I could feel myself start to sweat from the anxiety over my brother and sister, and the terror of the continued presence of the ties on my arms, chest, and legs.

"You promise they're alright!" I asked. Ok, more like demanded, but I was scared, "I swear if you hurt them I'll-"

He cut me off with a loud, barking laugh, "You'll what? Glare me to death? I'm three times your size, mop-top, and you may have been able to beat up Prongs, but I assure you I won't be anywhere near as easy."

I took his advice, and glared hotly, remaining silent. He smiled broadly, and got to his feet, walking around behind me so I couldn't see him any longer. That only made me more terrified.

"We're not going to hurt them," I jumped when his voice was suddenly right in my ear, "Or you. I just want to ask you a few questions." I was in a full on cold sweat, and shaking violently by this time, dangerously close to tears. My gaze went to my knees, and all I could do was nod silently, knowing I was defeated.

"Great!" He exclaimed happily, laying his hands on my shoulders, kneading them to try to soothe the fear that was rather apparent. It didn't really help, and, if anything, just made me more nervous. "First off, what's your name?"

I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling like my mouth and throat were packed with cotton balls. I didn't know whether or not I should tell him my real name, or give him the boys' name I had made up. It seemed like a fairly crucial moment in my escape thus far.

While I was contemplating, he crossed around in front of me and leaned against the desk. He was really close, and still smiling, "The truth now. Don't be scared. I'll even help. Repeat after me, 'Hello, my name is...'"

He looked at me expectantly, but, still, I said nothing. I hadn't made up my mind about what to do. With a roll of his eyes and a sigh, he went on, "More help? Ok, well, the two little ones said your name was Ivy. Is that it?"

That definitely took care of my dilemma. Leave it Noah and Judy to help me out of a tough spot. I nodded.

He smirked, "What a beautiful name! I'm Sirius, and it's very nice to meet you. How old are you, Ivy?"

I struggled a bit more, trying to get my arms free because I was about three seconds away from having a fit. He seemed to notice, "How 'bout this, you tell me how old you are, and your last name, and what you were doing out in the middle of the night, and I'll untie you."

I breathed a sigh of relief, and immediately spilled, "My name's Ivy Jade Sennen, and I turned eleven today... or maybe yesterday... I don't know... Is it still the twenty-first?"

He grinned broadly as he said, "Ya, it is. Happy Birthday." I couldn't help the smile that spread over my face, because it was the first, and only, 'Happy Birthday' I received that day, and it was one more than I expected.

He still wasn't moving to untie me, so I figured I hadn't lucked out of having to reveal that last bit of information like I hoped I would. I sighed, and continued, "I was running away." He nodded gravely, yet still somehow managed to keep the lopsided grin on his face, and he untied me.

When all the bits of ropes were off, I sprang up, nervously rubbing my slightly chaffed wrists as I paced the room, keeping my distance from Sirius. He just smiled though and didn't press me, seeming to understand. He leaned up against the desk once more, and that's where he stayed for a while.

I looked around at the other furniture in the room, a huge bookshelf, taking up one entire wall and filled to practically bursting (my hands were just itching to run over the millions of pages of words housed in it), a small playpen holding a few baby toys and blankets, and a long, worn, brown leather couch. The couch was right beneath a big window, and that was my next stop.

I knelt on the couch, and was vaguely aware of Sirius asking as I stared outside, "So, the two kids, they're your brother and sister?" I saw trees, lots of them, and another house with a few lights on a long ways away. "Ya," I answered, "Noah and Judy. Where are we?"

"Godric's Hollow. Home of James and Lily Potter," He said. I was still gazing out the window, my vision unfocused as I let my throbbing eyes just enjoy the darkness, when he asked, "Where are you from?"

"California," I replied shortly, but decided that since this guy had been so nice I would elaborate, "I was born in Santa Monica. That's in the south, right on the beach. But we went to live with J and Bernadette in Paradise after the twins were born. That's in the north, in the mountains."

"Paradise, huh?" He mused thoughtfully, "Sounds nice." I shrugged.

"Why would you want to run away from Paradise?" He asked with a laugh, clearly enjoying the pun. I remained silent. Explaining to someone that you've been abused is not an easy task, and I had no idea how to go about it, or even if I should. After all, why would he care?

"Ivy?" He asked softly, having sensed me tense up at the question. It was silent awhile longer before I felt his hand on my shoulder. I turned away from him, and the window, and sank down into the far end of the couch, hugging my knees to my chest, staring at my toes.

Once more, it was silent for a little while, but, eventually, he tried again, "Ivy, whatever it is, you can tell me. I promise."

I sniffed loudly and shook my head, once again biting back tears. It was so messed up! I couldn't cry when Daddy and J died, or when I lost Momma, not even during all the times Bernadette beat me within an inch of my life, why was I picking _now_ to have a breakdown! He tried to stroke my head reassuringly, whispering, "Ivy?"

"I want to see Noah and Judy!" I demanded. My voice was cracking, so it wasn't quite as forceful as I'd hoped. Nonetheless, it was all I could do to get us off the subject.

He was silent a few seconds longer, still stroking my head, combing through my choppy brown hair with his long, broad fingers. Finally, he said with a soft laugh, "I think they're probably sleeping by now. Babies, ya know?" I didn't laugh, because it wasn't that funny, but, still, I appreciated the attempt.

I finally picked my head up, propping my chin on my knees as I looked at Sirius. We had just met, but there was something about him that just made me trust him. Maybe I had a touch of Stockholm Syndrome, or maybe I hit my head when I fell, but I really did trust him. I was sure that he would never hurt me.

He'd taken off the jacket at some point, and I could see scars on his arms. They didn't look self-inflicted. In fact, they looked a lot like the scars I had running up and down my arms, and all over my body. I suddenly knew he would understand.

I stood up very quickly, and he jumped, but stayed in his seat. I walked a few tiny paces until I was right in front of him. Our gazes locked for a split second, and then I turned my back to him, and lifted my shirt.

I was perfectly aware of how horrible it looked, I'd been catching sight of it in the mirror everyday for six months or so, but I still cringed when he gasped. I knew I was ugly, he didn't have to rub it in.

There were fresh scabs on top of scars, scars on top of scars, and scars on top of deep, angry bruises. Purples, and blues, and greens, and yellows, and reds were all splashed across my skin like I was piece in an abstract museum exhibit. I was a walking canvas. Bernadette was the artist, her cane the brush, my own blood and flesh the paint.

I'm not entirely sure how long I stood like that until I realized that I was crying, but tears started dripping off my face and onto my shoes. It was completely silent.

It was like everything up until that moment, everything I could never make myself cry for, had been building up all those years, and the dam had suddenly burst. I was crying for Daddy, and Momma, and J, and just everything. I couldn't stop.

After a very long, tense silence, Sirius tugged my shirt back down, and spun me to face him. He was crying, too, and immediately pulled me into a strong hug.

I hadn't been hugged like that in so long, and I was starving for it, for affection, and comfort, and just the warmth of another human being. He held me, tight and strong, and I sobbed into his shoulder, encircling his neck with my spindly, bruised, scarred arms as he rocked me and petted my hair, murmuring soft words of comfort.

I ended up being pulled into his lap, and I told him _everything_, about my parents, J and Bernadette, how my plan was supposed to have gone, all the events leading up to finding myself in that room. I told him things I had never told any other person, living or dead. It was a strange kind of freedom.

"I can take her hitting me," I finished later, when my story was over and no more tears would come. I looked up into his bright gray eyes, "But I won't let her hurt Noah and Judy. You can't send us back. I... I think I'll kill her if she hurts them again."

He stared down at me, smiling just a little to put me at ease as he laughed playfully, "Whoa now. Nobody's gonna kill anyone. I'm not quite sure what we're doing with you yet, but I promise you won't be going back there. No worries."

It was like a crushing weight was suddenly off me, and I smiled. I fell asleep in Sirius' arms, and slept peacefully for the first time in almost two years.


	3. Part 3: Lessons in Mandom

Part 3 - Lessons in Mandom

When I woke up the next morning, I was alone again, curled on that same brown couch, with a red and yellow blanket tucked around me. I was only completely confused and disoriented and scared out of my wits for about three seconds. Then I remembered.

My mouth tasted like a sewer, my newly acquired hair-don't was sticking up everywhere, and my whole body was still one solid ache from getting hit with that purple light. It's funny, but I never really thought there was anything odd about it. I didn't know where the light had come from, or how it knocked me out, and I didn't care. Thinking back, I probably should have.

I didn't like being stuck in a strange room all alone, and I needed to see Noah and Judy, so I got up, and tried the door. It was unlocked, so I opened it and stepped out.

Immediately, I had to cover my ears because the shouting felt like it was going to make my head explode. Using my palms to seal out most of the noise, I bit back the pain and looked around. I was definitely not on a ground floor, I could see a staircase off to my right, and there was a long hallway off to my left. I decided on investigating what all the shouting was about before I explored any further.

I crouched down and peered cautiously over the landing, looking down in between the white railings to the chaos below.

I recognized some of the same people from the night before, but the man with the glasses (the one I slashed) and Sirius were the only two I could actually pick out. A red-haired woman was yelling at Sirius and the man with the glasses, while a large crowd circled around them nervously.

"SHE'S JUST A CHILD! THERE'S NO WAY SHE'S A-"

"SHE HAD A _KNIFE_ ON HER! SHE ATTACKED YOU! HOW DO WE KNOW IT WASN'T HER WHO KILLED-"

"COME OFF IT! SHE DIDN'T KILL ANYONE! SHE WAS JUST SCARED! HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF-"

"HOW I WOULD FEEL IS COMPLETELY BESIDE THE POINT! WE ARE _NOT_ KEEPING THEM! I DON'T CARE IF SHE ISN'T A DEATH EATER! HER FAMILY WILL-"

"THE ONLY BLOODY _FAMILY_ SHE'S GOT BEATS HER AT EVERY AVAILABLE OPPORTUNITY! I WON'T LET YOU SEND HER BACK THERE! I PROMISED-"

"THAT IS YOUR OWN DAMN PROBLEM!"

"YOU'D SEND AN ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD, AND TWO TODDLERS BACK TO AN ABUSIVE HOME JUST BECAUSE OF A STUPID GRUDGE OVER HER SCRATCHING YOUR HUSBAND?"

"IT WAS NOT A _SCRATCH!_ SHE COULD'VE KILLED HIM!"

"BUT SHE DIDN'T! I'M FINE, AND SHE WAS JUST SCARED! FOR MERLIN'S SAKE, LIL, IT WOULD BE LIKE SOMEONE ASKING YOU TO SEND HARRY TO LIVE WITH YOUR SISTER AND HER FAT LUMP OF A HUSBAND! ONLY WORSE! YOU CAN'T EXPECT US TO BE OK WITH THAT!"

"ARG! FINE, IF THEY CAN'T GO BACK TO THEIR FAMILY, WHAT ABOUT AN ORPHANAGE?"

"I AM _NOT_ LETTING YOU SEND THEM TO AN ORPHANAGE! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU CRAZY BINT? I TOLD YOU I'D-"

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?"

"WHAT DID YOU CALL HER?"

"I CALLED HER A CRAZY BINT, AND IT IS ABSOLUTELY, ONE-HUNDRED-PERCENT ACCURATE IF SHE'D CHOOSE MAKING THEM GROW UP IN A BLOODY ORPHANAGE OVER LETTING ME TAKE THEM!"

"WATCH IT, MATE!"

"BLACK, YOU'RE A DAMN LUNATIC IF YOU'D THINK ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD GIVE YOU CHILDREN! YOU POSSES NOWHERE _NEAR_ THE RESPONSIBILITY OR MATURITY LEVELS TO CARE FOR THEM!"

"I DO TOO!"

"OH YA? WHATEVER HAPPENED TO YOUR GOLDFISH? AND YOUR PUPPY? AND THAT PARAKEET? YOU CAN'T EVEN TAKE CARE OF A BLOODY OWL!"

"THAT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!"

"YES! IT IS! BECAUSE WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT _PETS!_ WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THREE _HUMAN BEINGS_ WHO YOU CAN'T LOSE INTEREST IN AFTER TWO WEEKS, FORGET TO FEED, AND THEN FLUSH DOWN THE TOILET!"

"I WOULDN'T-"

A loud cough coming from underneath me cut him off, and the whole room went quiet. I couldn't see where it had come from, and, since I'm curious by nature, I stuck my head between the railings and leaned out farther to get a better look.

Even leaning out as far as I could go, I still could only see the cougher's legs. He had odd, pointed shoes that looked like they were made out of felt on his feet, and, even though I know now that it was a robe, back then I thought he was wearing a skirt, dark blue with little white stars on it. It was confusing, because I could also see the very end of a long, white beard settled between the cougher's knees, and I suddenly wasn't sure whether it was a man or a woman.

I had just settled on possible Bearded Lady when he started talking, "If _I_ might weigh in on the matter?"

I was pretty sure it was a man by that time, and he sounded old. Of course, the white beard probably should've tipped me off to that fact anyways. After a moment or two of silence, a dramatic pause to heighten the tension (I could already tell the guy had a bit of a thing for drama) he went on, "I do not see any reason why Mr. Black should not take the children if he is so inclined."

Sirius immediately grinned, and jumped into the air, pumping his fist as he let out a loud whoop of victory. When he landed, he spun back to the red-haired woman, who did not look at all happy, and danced around her in circles, wiggling his butt comically as he taunted, "HA! In your face, Evans! He agrees with _ME!_ I was right! And you were wrong! NYA NYA NYA NYA NYA NYA!"

I wanted to laugh _SO_ bad! Sirius' actions, coupled with the look of hatred on the red-haired woman's face, were just about the funniest thing I'd seen in my entire life! If I hadn't already liked Sirius, that outburst definitely would've been enough to convince me he was an awesome guy.

However, the words of the argument weren't quite sinking in yet. Somehow, I knew they were talking about the twins and me, but it wasn't registering that the cool, nice, freaking hilarious guy wanted us. It made no sense.

The old man chuckled slightly, and I could see him cross his legs as he interrupted, "Well, even so, someone should inform the aunt where the children are so as not to attract attention from the muggle authorities. The area should also be searched for any remaining followers of Voldemort, and we need to investigate what Lydia was doing there in the first place. Any volunteers?"

"I'll do it!" Sirius shouted immediately, waving his hand about in the air, jumping up and down, "I've got a thing or two to say to that bloody hag of an aunt." He grinned maliciously, rubbing his hands together as he cackled. I was beginning to _really_ like him.

"Excellent," The old man interjected, "Now that that particular matter is settled, I think we should move on to-"

ACHOO!

_"Uh oh..."_ I thought to myself once I realized that I was the one who sneezed. Have I mentioned yet that I have _the worst_ luck in the world?

The jig was up. All twenty or so heads of the people standing below me snapped in the direction of the sneeze, and my eyes went wide as I was caught.

I tried to run and hide, only to find that my head was stuck between the railings when I pulled back. I felt trapped again and started to panic, trying with all my might to yank my head out of its prison. I imagine that I looked like a total spaz, flailing about and smacking my head repeatedly against the railings in my rush to escape.

"Hey now," A voice behind me remarked with a laugh after quite a lot of freaking out on my part. Another voice, very similar to the first, instructed me brightly, "Relax, and we can get you outta there."

Again, it took a lot of will power to calm down, but, eventually, I did manage to. I stopped my struggling, squeezing my eyes shut and just trying to breathe. "Keep telling people these things are bloody deathtraps," One voice remarked casually as I felt one pair of hands settle on my neck, and another on the top of my head. The other voice added, "Too true. Remember that one time when we were six? Stuck all day, we were."

"Ya," Came the first voice again, "Wasn't so bad until we realized we didn't have any candy..." They were tugging my head slowly out of the railings, one was pulling, the other pushing, and it was squeezing and making my ears bend forward painfully. "Ugh," The second voice added with a shudder, "Forgot about that part. Worst day ever, that one was."

My head came loose, and I stumbled backwards from my crouching position, almost falling hard onto my butt. However, the owners of the two voices caught me before I hit the ground, and hoisted me to my feet.

Once I was upright, they spun me around to face them, and started jokingly brushing me off, mussing my hair and pinching my cheeks as the one in green shouted over the railing, "Hey, Evans! I'm mostly sure she's not a Death Eater!"

"Ya," The other one, who was wearing bright orange, agreed, "Doesn't Dark Lord makes Unsticking-Ya-Head 101 mandatory for all who want to join up?"

I ignored the chuckles from below as I looked over the two men in front of me. Twins, I realized, but not like Noah and Judy, identical twins. They were stocky, with barrel-like chests, thick, stubby limbs, short copper-colored hair, bright blue eyes, and tons of freckles. They were smiling goofily at me, and looked like really nice guys.

"'Lo there," The one in orange stated as he presented his hand, "Fabian Prewett's the name. Glad ta meet ya, Dollface." After a short pause, cautiously, and a little reluctantly, I stuck my hand out to meet his. He took it, closed his broad, rough palm over mine, wrapping his wide, stumpy fingers around my thin ones, and he pumped up and down violently, shaking my whole body, practically yanking my arm out of its socket and me up off the ground.

"Tsk, tsk, Fabe," The one in green scolded, shaking his head at his brother, "That's no way to treat a little girl! I fear for the safety of our future niece! Little girls are more delicate than little boys. You've gotta treat them softer, like this." He shoved Fabian away, making him somersault backwards down the stairs, his feet waving comically in the air as he thumped all the way to the bottom with a string of frantic, rather colorful swears.

The remaining twin then smiled at me, his blue eyes shining with laughter. I smirked just a little. Come on! It was pretty funny! I know I'm a bit of a weirdo, but I still say seeing someone get pushed down the stairs is always a riot!

He picked up one of my small hands, holding it in both of his large ones as he knelt down in front of me and cooed sweetly, "Good morning, darling. I am known as Gideon Prewett, the far more handsome and gentlemanly twin. It is a pleasure to make the acquaintance of a creature as lovely as yourself." I blushed a little at the compliment, and even more so when he bent his head down and placed a soft, chaste kiss on the back of my hand.

When he stood up, he grinned at me, and winked. From the heat I could feel on it, my face was most likely the color of a tomato.

He just kept grinning though, seeming very amused by my embarrassment as he went on, "What's your name, love? Or, perhaps angels have no names?" I averted my eyes as I mumbled back, "Ivy."

"Simply lovely, and definitely befitting," He crooned softly. A second later, I heard someone yell, "OY! Stop hitting on her, Prewett! She's just barely eleven, ya perverted old tosser!"

Gideon laughed, "Aw! Isn't that just adorable! Seems like Black's gonna be one of those angry, protective daddy's." I could hear someone stomping up the stairs, and when I looked up again, Sirius was running towards me. I was kinda nervous by that time. What was with all the talk of him being my daddy? Sure, I liked the guy, but I didn't want a new daddy! I still loved mine!

However, before I had time to think too much on the subject and freak myself out, Sirius shoved Gideon down the stairs. He fell in much the same way his brother had, a hilarious tumult of freckled limbs, loud cursing, and echoed thuds. And, of course, he rolled right into Fabian, who had finally managed to stand, and knocked him down again. Fabian grabbed Gideon into a headlock and sat on him, and that prompted a wrestling match. They were laughing loudly as they rolled about, playful, yet definitely not pulling any punches. It was oddly endearing.

They knocked over a lamp and a small table, and that's when the red-haired woman cut in, "YOU ARE DESTROYING MY HOUSE!" I was starting to think 'ear-splitting screech' was the only tone she was capable of.

As she proceeded to further chastise and thoroughly emasculate the guilty pair, Sirius chuckled, kneeling beside me and throwing and arm around my shoulders, "Funny lot, eh?" I smiled and nodded. He just laughed, ruffling my shaggy mop of hair as he asked, "How 'bout you and me go get some breakfast?"

Again, I smiled and nodded. I was starving. The last thing I could remember having eaten was half a peanut butter sandwich about two days before. Bernadette wasn't too big on the whole 'feeding Ivy' thing. I was used to fending for myself when it came to meals, but there was only so much I could do if she didn't buy food to begin with. The twins never went hungry, but that sometimes meant me not eating at all.

Sirius grinned and got to his feet. "Excellent!" He shouted as he picked me up off the floor and swung me so I was hanging onto his back, "Hope you like pancakes!"

xxXxx

"So... You guys are... _magicians?_" Was my first reaction to being told about the world I'd literally just fallen into, "Like, rabbit-out-of-a-hat, nothing-up-my-sleeve, saw-the-skanky-chick-in-half, David-Copperfield weirdness?"

Sirius had piggy-backed me a full mile into the nearest town, and, true to his word, took me out for pancakes. We sat side-by-side at the counter in a sunny looking little diner. I ordered blueberry, and he ordered chocolate-chip-caramel-peanut-butter-marshmallow, and, while we ate, he explained about magic, the war against Voldemort, and the Order of the Phoenix.

Again, I probably should've been freaked to learn all that stuff, but I wasn't. It was one of those things that someone tells you, and it goes against everything you've been taught your whole life, but, at the same time, since you've been ignoring what you've been taught your whole life because you've always suspected that the people teaching you don't know shit about shit, it makes perfect sense.

Sirius fixed me with a funny look, made to look even funnier by the smudges of chocolate and marshmallow fluff on his face, and the syrup dripping into his beard, and answered with his mouth full, "Uh... I don't really know what you just said, but we're called witches and wizards, not, er, _magisticians._"

I kinda laughed (Who butchers the word _magician?_ Honestly, it's not _that_ hard!), but went on anyways, "Am I a witch then?" He shoveled more into his mouth, and shrugged, "Donno. Doesn't sound like either of your parents were, but, then again, you did manage to activate a portkey. Usually muggles can't do that." It was my turn to give him a funny look, "Portkey? Muggles?"

"Oh," He stated quietly, "Right, well, a portkey is just like an object that's enchanted, and when you touch it, it takes you someplace else. And muggle's a word we use for saying 'non-magic person'. Understand?" I did. I was catching on rather quick.

"That necklace that the woman was wearing," I asked, "That was the portkey?" He looked away and nodded gravely.

After a long pause, I finally gathered my courage, even though I still couldn't look up, and asked, "She's dead, isn't she?" I heard him slowly lay his utensils down, and then he slung his arm around my shoulders, hugging me to his side as he informed me somberly, "Ya, but you shouldn't feel bad. There was nothing you could've done, and it's actually thanks to you that her family has a body to bury, and that the portkey didn't end up in the wrong hands."

I rested my head on his chest, and was silent for awhile longer. The waitress was looking at us strangely. I wasn't sure why. Finally, "What was her name?"

He squeezed me a little tighter, and answered, "Lydia Lovegood." I don't know why I asked. It didn't really matter, but I suppose I just needed a name for the face I'd never be forgetting.

He let me go after a few minutes, and we ate the rest of our meal in silence.

We were already halfway back to the house when he finally spoke. I was a few paces away from him, balancing on a fallen log at the side of the narrow dirt path, counting my steps, just because I'm odd like that, and lost in my own thoughts. He suddenly blurted out, "I swung it so you can come live with me."

I stopped and stared at him. He had his hands jammed in his pockets, his eyes down, and his shoulders hunched up, making him look like he was nervous. He kicked a rock as he went on, "You, and your sister, and brother. If you want to."

I was stunned. The conversation I overheard suddenly clicked. He not only _wanted_ us, he _fought_ for us. No one other than J had ever done that.

"We don't have to go back to Bernadette?" I asked. I just had to make sure I wasn't misunderstanding the situation. He finally looked up, grinning crookedly, "Nope. I promised you wouldn't, and you don't. I'm a man of my word."

I smiled. I didn't know what else to do! I was so happy that I barely remembered to breathe! My master plan for getting away from Bernadette had completely backfired, yet _still_ managed to work! And it was turning out even better than I'd hoped!

There was just one thing that bothered me about the situation, "I don't have to call you 'Daddy', do I?" His eyes got huge, and he sputtered over his answer, "NO! Oh, no way! That makes me sound way old!"

I laughed, and was thoroughly pacified. I jumped on him, leaping the long distance from where I was balanced on the log to right on top of him. I guess he wasn't expecting that, because he fell over, and I went down, too.

He hit the ground with a startled 'OOF!' and I landed on top of him, practically sitting on his chest. After he caught his breath, he smiled, and laughed, "Well, maybe I was wrong about you not being able to beat me up..."

xxXxx

I couldn't stop smiling during the rest of the walk as I chatted happily with my new... er... I don't know what to call him... my new friend?... my new guardian?... my new Sirius?... Well, whatever he was, he was a blast. Like a big brother. Ya, ok, he was my new big brother. That sounds pretty accurate.

Once again, I somehow ended up getting a piggy-back ride, and it was... fun! He told me stories, loud, boisterous, and hilarious as he spun me in circles, laughing, and running all over the place. He was more of a kid than I was.

I was giggling madly by the time we got to the house, clinging tightly to Sirius' shoulders and thoroughly enjoying that unbelievably wonderful day. He put me down when we got inside and told me to have a seat on the couch and wait while he went to find the others. I did just that.

"AH HA!" Someone, I recognized that it was one of the Prewett twins, cried jubilantly as I was plucked from my seat without warning a few minutes later, "Just the girl we were looking for!" I caught a glimpse of orange t-shirt and remembered Gideon was the one wearing that particular color, so figured it had to be him who had hoisted me into the air.

He stood me on top of a low coffee table in the middle of the room. A small group of boys sporting tomato-colored hair had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and were staring at me, looking confused.

"Now, lads, for today's lesson in Mandom," Gideon began, holding my hips to keep me from escaping (like I was desperately trying to do), "We are in need of a visual aid, my new little friend, Ivy."

Fabian turned up on the other side of me, grinning quite broadly despite my look of terror as he commented, "Ivy is what we call a 'pretty girl'."

"Pretty girls are wonderful things, " Gideon continued, "They're pretty, obviously, so nice to look at, and they can sometimes be loads of fun. They're good for talking to, and going to parties with, and, one day, when you find that one special pretty girl that you know is right for you, she'll be good for kissing, and, uh, other things that we'll tell you about when you get a bit older."

I was utterly, utterly mortified. Why were these guys so good at making me blush to the point of near spontaneous combustion? And why did they seem to enjoy it so damn much? The young redheads listened with rapt attention as Gideon went on for a bit longer about things like pick-up lines, and romantic gestures, and how to show a 'pretty girl' that you respect and appreciate her. Fabian jumped in at times with some pointers that fell into the category he called 'How To Score'.

The boys, even though they still seemed a bit confused, soaked up every word like freckley little sponges. I counted five of them, a set of twins who couldn't have been that much older than my twins, a boy with curly hair and glasses who I thought was probably a kindergartener, a boy with severe freckles (well, _more_ severe than the rest anyways), and a tall boy with longer hair than the others, who looked my age. He had dark green eyes.

I didn't observe much else about them because Gideon was just getting to the part in his spiel where he discussed marriage and children with the pretty girl of their dreams, Fabian interrupting to go on about all that rubbish being worth it because of the honeymoon, and I found I could no longer make eye contact with anyone in the room. I settled for staring at my toes, and praying for someone to rescue me.

"You know," I heard Sirius declare hotly just a few seconds later, "Sometimes, you two are bloody _creepy_!" I was saved! Hallelujah! He snatched me out of Gideon's grip, sending a scowl at the grinning man as he set me back on the floor. After glaring for awhile, he turned back to me and smiled, his hands on my shoulders as he took a knee in front of me and asked, "You alright? They didn't traumatize you too bad, did they?"

"'M ok," I answered simply, still blushing, and slightly confused from the whole ordeal of being displayed like that.

Sirius mussed up my hair a bit, grinning as he said, "Good to hear. I've gotta go out for a bit, and you're gonna stay here. Just, uh, have fun, and listen to the grown ups..." He stopped himself to glare at the Prewetts once more, "Well, except for _those two_, and when I get back, I'll take you home. Sound good?"

I nodded happily, because it really did. There was only one thing more I needed, "Where are Noah and Judy?" He scratched his head as he stood, "Um, I'd guess the nursery with little Prongsie. Upstairs, last door on the right."

I nodded, and was all set to go on my own, however, Gideon clapped the tallest boy, the one with the long hair, who looked my age, on the back, practically knocking him over as he shouted, "William! Have I taught you nothing of chivalry? Offer to show this lovely young lady the way!"

I hardly thought it was possible at that point, seeing as how I was the color of a lobster, but the boy blushed worse than I was, stuttering, "Um... Uh... Oh... Ok..."

He got a push in my direction by the twins, who were both snickering, and seeming rather devious about the whole situation. I happened to be extremely familiar with the 'plotting something' look because I definitely saw it often enough from my own twins.

The boy stumbled over, looking rather unsure, and when he got to me, held out his hand and stated, "Hi. I'm Bill."

"Ivy," I mumbled, taking his hand and giving it one light shake before pulling back. I didn't know exactly how yet, but I was fairly sure that this Bill kid was related to the Prewett twins, and I didn't want to have my arm ripped out of its socket, or my hand kissed again.

I shrunk back against Sirius' legs, and Bill gave me a funny look. Sirius laughed, putting his hands on my shoulders to push me forward again, "S'alright. He's not quite as creepy as his uncles."

"HEY!" Bill shouted, glaring hotly at Sirius with his hands fisted at his hips, all his embarrassment apparently forgotten, "I'm not creepy at all!"

Sirius laughed, "Ya, ya. Sure you aren't." He pushed the both of us towards the stairs, warning Bill, "No funny stuff! And that means nothing _those two_ have taught you!"

Bill gave Sirius another funny look, kinda scrunching up half his face and pursing his lips, then grabbed me by the wrist and proceeded to drag me behind him up the stairs.

Back on the landing, I gave that deathtrap railing an evil glare as Bill yanked me past it. Halfway to the room, I regained some semblance of rational thought and pulled my arm out of his grasp, "I'm not gonna get lost! You don't have to drag me!"

He stopped, giving me that funny look again. I was starting to think he had some sort of tick. "Sorry," He grumbled, eyeing me curiously, "I was just trying to help."

I huffed a little, "Well, I don't need _that_ much help! Just point me to the room." Again, he gave me that funny look. What the hell was this kid's deal? "You talk funny," He stated a second later. "No I don't!" I roared back, "You do!" Can I help it if I was a bit defensive around other kids? After all, most of my experiences with them were pretty horrible.

"Merlin," He swore softly, "Keep it down! We'll get in trouble if we make the babies cry. I didn't mean it was bad anyways. It sounds kinda wicked."

"Really?" That was definitely a new one, and I was quite shocked. After a long pause, I answered, "Well, thanks. I guess your funny talk is pretty cool, too."

He grinned proudly, "Thanks!" After awhile, he eyed me up and down again, and cocked his head to the side, once again giving me the funny look as he asked, "Why's your hair all crooked?"

I ran my hands through it, probably just making it worse as I smiled shyly, "Gave myself a hair cut."

"Why would you do that?" He laughed, sounding happy, and bubbly. I shrugged, "Read it in a book."

"Oh!" He chirped, clearly getting overexcited, "You like books? I like books, too! What's your favorite? Mine's called _Bridge to Terabithia_. It's a muggle book, and Dad's read it to me probably a million times. I think he likes it just cuz off all the muggle stuff in it, but I like the story, even though it's really sad at the end."

My immediate impression: Chatterbox who rather likes the sound of his own voice. No matter, he still seemed like a very nice little chatterbox. "_Riding Freedom_ is my favorite, but I always read it to myself," I told him, smiling softly.

He grinned, pointing toward a door behind me, "Sounds wicked. So, um, anyways, this one's the nursery, but why do you wanna go in there? Just a bunch of babies in there. They aren't much fun. I know, I'm usually the one who has to watch them all during the meetings. Mrs. Potter lets me look through her books, though. We could do that instead. Or we could play outside. The backyard's fun, and Charlie and me, we found a creek with a rope swing. The pond at my house is better, because you don't have to hike so far to get to it, and the rope swing is longer so you can swing out farther. I know where there's a cave, but if we go there we have to be careful not to get lost in it, that's why I don't let Charlie, or Percy, or Fred and George go with me in there. I'm pretty sure they'd wander away, cuz they're too little, but you probably won't, right?"

He talked _way_ too fast. My head was, like, spinning, and I wasn't sure which question I was supposed to answer first. I decided to go from the beginning, "Um, I need to go in there to check on my little brother and sister, but, uh, after that, I guess we could play. I don't really care what we do, but I don't think I'd wander away."

He seemed rather pleased with my answer, grinning broadly as he declared, "Great! So, we'll check on the babies, and then play! What are your brother and sister's names?"

I ducked past him to open the door, mumbling, "Noah and Judy. They're twins." Of course, that just set him off again, "Oh, twins. That's cool. Fred and George, they're two of my little brothers, they're twins. They're hard to tell apart, and sometimes they do this weird thing where they yell something at the exact same time. Really odd, is what it is. Do yours do that?"

"Um," I opened the door slowly, "No, not usually. They're pretty different."

"IVY!" Noah and Judy shrieked at once, kinda making me look dumb seeing as how I had just told Bill that they didn't do that. Before I had too much time to dwell on it, however, they both launched themselves at me, each grabbing hold of one of my legs and hugging viciously.

They made me smile, but, then again, they've always been able to do that without even trying. "Hey there, you two," I cooed at them, petting both their heads as they pulled back to stand in front of me with their devilish grins, "Been having fun?"

Noah grinned broadly, clasping his hands behind his back and rocking forward on his toes as he chirped, "Ya! Thewe's othuw kids, and dat toy _fwies!_" (Please excuse his speech impediment, it did go away as he got older, and I always thought it was _absowutewy adowable_). He began gesturing wildly to a doll in a striped uniform that was seated on a broom, running towards it to pick up and show me, but at the same time Judy started tugging on my pant leg, motioning that she wanted me to bend down so she could tell me something.

When I was finally crouched down low enough for her liking, she grabbed my head, and cupped her hand around my ear, pointing as she shouted loudly, "I don't like that one! He's funny looking!" I heard Bill laugh at her antics. I had already had the 'just because you put your hand up to Ivy's ear to make it look like you're whispering, doesn't mean you can shout and no one will hear you' conversation with her numerous times. As brilliant as my little sister is, she's still a blonde.

She turned to glare at the other side of the room, and I glanced over. Indeed, it was one of the funniest looking babies I'd ever seen, and I happen to be an expert on funny looking babies (Noah and Judy looked like creatures straight out of a sci-fi flick for the first two weeks of their lives).

It was a little boy, standing awkwardly a few feet away, wobbling like he was going to fall over at any second. He had black hair that was sticking up everywhere, and kind of reminded me of my own shaggy mop at that moment. It made me wonder whether or not he had tried to give himself a hair cut, too. From the far-too-large, round black glasses he was wearing on his lop-sided melon of a head, I figured that he was probably the son of the man I had slashed the night before. As if the weird hair, glasses, and gigantic head weren't enough, he was also pigeon-toed, and chubby, his fat little thighs sticking out from the diaper that was the only thing covering his lower half. He had a little Buddha-belly poking out between the top of his diaper and the bottom of his red and yellow t-shirt. In his chunky little arms, he was clutching what looked to me like a morbidly obese, sparkling tennis ball with wings.

I turned back to Judy and hissed, "You be nice to him!" I had already assault-with-a-deadly-weaponed the dad, I didn't need for Judy to go being evil to the kid and give the family more of a reason to hate me. She scowled, "But he's smelly! And he can't talk!"

Let me pause to explain. Noah and Judy were kind of both geniuses as far as babies went. They were already walking and talking at six months, and, since Bernadette was kind of a lazy bitch and hated changing diapers with an all-consuming passion (not that she actually did much of it anyways), she had them potty-trained soon after that.

Noah never let his brilliance go to his head. In fact, when he met kids that weren't quite as advanced as he was, he would usually try to help them and teach them the things that he could do. I know, such a sweetheart!

Judy, however, was quite arrogant. She thought she was superior to any kid who couldn't do what she could (not that that was the only reason she cited), and she wasn't shy about letting them know it. While Noah was a sweetheart, Judy was a snob, and she tended to alienate most of her age bracket upon meeting them.

"Judith Harper Sennen..." I warned sternly. She always knew she was in trouble when she got the full name from me, and it immediately shut her up... Well, sort of. She glared, and huffed indignantly, flicking her blond ringlets out of her eyes (a gesture that I think she thought made her look more grown up, but actually made her look incredibly ditzy), and grumbled, "Fine. _SOOOOORRRRRYYY!_"

I laughed. That was as close to an apology as anyone would ever get from Judy. Just as I was reaching up to ruffle her hair, I heard Noah let out a loud laugh and a scream of, "IVY! IVY! LOOK!" I turned, and my mouth _dropped_.

Flying above the head of my little brother and a chubby brunette boy, was that same toy from the ground. The little man in the uniform was riding the broom, zooming about erratically. That in itself probably wouldn't have startled me, after all I had seen remote control airplanes and stuff like that before, but it was _talking!_ And not talking like those pull-the-string-to-hear-one-of-ten-prerecorded-funtime-phrases dolls, it was carrying on a conversation with my little brother!

"Hiyuw! Fastuw!" Noah shrieked happily, waving his arms over his head, trying to catch the toy. The toy started _laughing_, and answered in a thick Scottish accent, "Aye Laddie! That's the aim of all the great ones! Higher! Faster! Anything for the glory and thrill of victory! Neville, keep your finger out of there!"

I was like, _"Uh... What?"_ Bill seemed to notice my confusion, and he started laughing. When I finally managed to take my eyes off the doll, which was by that time dive-bombing the chubby brunette who had his finger in his nose, I turned back around to Bill. He was snickering, bouncing a frightened-looking red-haired baby boy in his arms.

"Don't worry about that toy," He told me with a laugh, having to talk over the shrieks from the baby, "Mr. Potter just likes quidditch a lot, so he enchanted it to do that.

I was still in shock. Quidditch? Enchantments? What the hell was going on? Sure, Sirius had explained some things to me, but there was a big difference between hearing about magic, and actually witnessing something that was supposed to be inanimate suddenly turn fully cognizant and go flying through the air without an antennae or remote control anywhere in sight!

"This is Ronald," Bill told me proudly, holding the freckly baby out in front of himself, "But we call him Ronnie. He's my littlest brother, and I'm gonna have a baby sister real soon, too. Mum said I could help name her."

Now, I'm just going to remind you real quick so that you don't think I was trying to be mean, but I'm kind of bitter about the whole 'lost my parents' thing. I know he didn't mean it that way (seeing as he knew nothing of my parents at that time, so he really couldn't have), but, to me, it sounded like 'Haha, I've got a mother, and you don't.'

"So what?" I spat back, "That's not so great!" Overreaction, I know, but give me a break. Bill got this confused, kind of hurt expression on his face, followed by that funny look, which was starting to annoy me just a little, and he asked, "Huh?"

I had to take a deep breath to calm down, reminding myself that he probably didn't mean anything by it. "Never mind," I mumbled, my eyes on my toes, "Sorry."

"IIIIVVVVYYY!" Judy whined. I had never been more grateful for that whine, as it saved me from a rather awkward moment. "What?" I inquired softly. She pouted, "When are we going to Disneyworld?"


	4. Part 4: Little Places

Part 4 - Little Places

After I broke the news to poor little Judy that we wouldn't be going to Disneyworld anytime soon (I know, I know, I'm an evil big sister, you can all string me up when I'm through telling the story), and she had a rather epic temper-tantrum, Bill and I left the nursery, dodged his brothers and his uncles, and headed outside.

It was sunny, and warm, and nice out. Countryside rolled for miles in all directions, and everything was green and full of life, practically buzzing with the aura of spring. The Potters' house was surrounded by a huge stretch of lush grass that felt almost like a carpet beneath my feet, and, beyond that, by thick forest.

We ran out one of the side doors, Bill ahead of me, and laughing because I couldn't really keep up (I was never very athletic), though he did slow down about half way to the edge of the trees, which I suppose was pretty nice of him.

He grabbed my hand when we started into the forest, steering me through the thick undergrowth with an obvious destination in mind.

He talked practically non-stop the entirely time we ran, asking me how old I was, where I was from, my favorite color, my likes and dislikes, and just everything.

And he told me everything about himself, too. He was eleven, like me, and from England, just a little south of London. His favorite color was green, and he liked adventure books, quidditch (I was still confused as to what the hell that was at the time, but he seemed rather enthusiastic about it), and exploring. I also learned that he hated celery, cold weather, and people touching his hair.

He was nicer to me than just about any other kid I had ever met. I never had any friends my own age before. I think I already mentioned that I've always been quiet, possessing an odd kind of intelligence, and kids are mean to shy bookworms. They don't care that it's a cliché; all they're concerned with is an easy target on which to relieve crushing boredom, or inborn malice.

After a long hike through the woods that left me quite flushed and winded, we were suddenly in a small clearing. Bill pulled me to a halt, looked around, grinned, and announced, "This is the place! Come on, just over here!"

He still had a hold of my hand and lead me a few more steps before dropping it, and pulling back some dense shrubbery to reveal a small opening between some large boulders. It wasn't much more than a foxhole, very dark, and very, _very_ small. I'm claustrophobic, and there was no way in _hell_ I was going in there.

However, before I could tell Bill that, he shoved me, laughing as I stumbled and fell through the opening. I rolled down a long ways, and, even if it hadn't been too dark too see anything, the spinning would've still rendered my eyesight useless

When I finally stopped, I was dizzy, and found myself sprawled on the floor of a small underground room with a low ceiling. It was dark, the only light dim sun filtering down through the entrance to pool in one round spot on the dusty ground, not providing anywhere enough to properly see my surroundings. The air was hot, and stale, and smelled moldy, like wet clothes that'd been left in the hamper too long. It had a sort of smothering quality, and I was having trouble breathing within just a few short seconds.

"Isn't it awesome?" I heard Bill ask enthusiastically as he finally clambered in behind me, shining a light in my face, making me blind on top of everything else. I had to shield my eyes then, and put my head between my knees to try to keep myself from seeing just how small the space around me was. It was like the closet all over again, and I wanted to scream.

"What's wrong?" He asked solemnly as he crouched beside me, sounding very concerned, "Did you get hurt? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get you hurt, it's just fun to roll down it like that. That's how I found it in the first place, I fell through the hole when I was running with Charlie... Ivy?... Ivy?..."

I was _seriously_ freaking out, hugging myself and rocking, and I yelped, "I want to go out! Take me out!" Even without looking, I could tell he was giving me that funny look again, and he asked, "What? Why? We just got in! Don't you want to see the rest of it?"

I could hear him moving around, but refused to open my eyes, "There's three different tunnels, but I've only been down two of them. Maybe me and you can go down the third one today. I betcha we find something real wicked, like buried treasure, or a skeleton!" Oh sure, throw a possible dead body on top of my already severe phobia. I _so_ wanted to hit him.

"NO!" I screamed, shaking my head violently as I started to have flashbacks to when Bernadette would tie me up and lock me in the closet for days, "I want to go out now! Take me out! Please, Auntie, let me out! I'll be good! I promise! Just let me out!"

"Ivy, what're you..." The rest of Bill's question was cut off by a deep, ominous rumbling that came from all around us. I started yelling again, because I was scared out of my mind, and Bill shouted something before grabbing me by the arm and dragging me farther away from the entrance. He was just in time to save me from the cave-in.

We were both coughing and choking on lungfuls of dust when the slide was finally over. The only light now was coming from Bill's torch, which looked sort of like a flashlight, but instead of a light bulb, I could see an actually flick of yellowish-orange flame jumping inside the end of it. The artificial light, along with the settling dust made the small space seem even smaller, and I started hyperventilating.

"Hey, Ivy, it's ok," Bill tried to soothe, sounding insufferably upbeat about the whole situation as he moved around in front of me. I didn't understand how he could be so calm about it! We were sealed in an underground room! There was barely enough space for him to stand up straight! Yet, still, he was somehow fine, "It's no big deal. I'll dig us out!"

He did try, but every time he made any progress at all, he'd trigger more slides. After what seemed like a lifetime (to me anyways), he finally gave up.

"Uh..." He began, already making me uneasy about what he was going to say, "Ok, so we're kinda stuck." I groaned, my breathing getting slightly shallower, and more desperate as I once again stuck my head between my knees to keep myself conscious. I knew we were going to die. No one would ever be able to find us, and we were going to starve, or suffocate, or be crushed by falling rocks, or attacked by mole-people, or all of the above! I was shaking all over, and sweating from the moist, sticky air, and this was _so_ not happening.

But it was. Bill sat down next to me, playing with his flashlight thing as he announced brightly, "It's ok though, I'm sure someone will come to find us pretty soon. They'll realize we're gone, and then it'll just take a quick spell for them to come here, and then they'll banish the rocks, and we'll be back outside in no time!"

He paused, and I knew he was staring at me, not only because there wasn't much else in the cave to be looking at, but also because I was still coughing and choking and whimpering and freaking out rather terribly.

"Don't be scared," He announced brightly as he leaned up against me, throwing an arm awkwardly around my shoulders in an attempt to ease my fear, "Really, it'll be ok." Nothing he was saying was helping. I was still just as terrified.

"I don't like little places," I finally told him, pausing just enough in my break down to get the words to come out right, "They make me feel sick."

"Oh," He replied, sounding surprised, "Well why did you want to go exploring in a cave then?"

Was he serious? "I DIDN'T!" I yelled at him, causing another rumble. We fell into silence, and, after I was sure it was over, I hissed, my voice significantly softer than before, "_You_ pushed me before I had a chance to tell you that I didn't want to go in, and now we are going to _die!_ I hope you're happy!"

He looked away, shrugged, inadvertently blinded me with the torch once more, then mumbled, "I'm sorry. I didn't know it was gonna make you sick." As an afterthought he added, "And we're not gonna die. We're just stuck for a bit, is all."

I didn't feel like arguing anymore. After we used up all the oxygen, suffocated, and our bodies were torn apart by rats he'd know I was right anyways, so what was the point? I kept my eyes closed and hugged myself, trying to believe that I was anywhere else.

I almost succeeded, but Bill wrecked it, asking, "So, are you _really_ sick, or just a little sick? Do you need medicine, or a Healer, or something?"

I sighed, and grumbled, "It's not that kind of sick. I won't be better until we're out of here." I could hear him tossing pebbles into the tunnels, hear the stones tapping against the cave floor as they bounced and echoed down the passageways. He answered, "Oh... Well, what can we do until then? I've got some chocolate, would that help?"

I laughed. It may have been entirely his fault, but at least he was trying to make me feel better. "Sure," I told him, "I guess it can't hurt."

We split a chocolate bar, and it was yummy, and it actually did help me calm down a little. I finally got my breathing under control, though I was still panicked and jumpy. The space was really small, but it was still bigger than a closet, so it wasn't as bad as I had originally thought. Bill seemed rather proud of himself.

"See," He said, once more managing to shine the light directly into my eyes, "You're alright. What do you wanna do until we get rescued?"

_"If we get rescued..."_ The Pessimistic Voice Inside My Head grumbled. I, however, shrugged, "Dunno." He looked thoughtful for a moment, once again getting that funny look on his face. It looked even funnier than before because I could see in the dim light that he was completely covered in dirt from head to toe, and also, "You've got a bug in your hair."

"WHAT?" He screamed, causing another immediate rumbling as he jumped to his feet and started slapping himself repeatedly upside the head, "WHERE? GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!"

Before I could yell at him to shut the hell up because it was just a stupid little beetle, the ceiling collapsed.

Not on top of either of us, thank God, but right in between, cutting us off from each other, and shrinking my space to _smaller_ than the closet. The light was gone, and I couldn't move.

I was yelling, and struggling, and hyperventilating. I don't even remember blacking out.

xxXxx

It was suddenly bright, and I started coughing as I tried to shield my closed eyes. "Oh, thank Merlin!" A man's voice yelped loudly. Just as I was thinking that it was nice to have someone who apparently cared that I was still living, said person started lightly slapping me in the face as he commanded, "Ivy. Ivy, come on, love, wake up."

I groaned again, swatting him away as I tried to curl onto my side and go back to sleep. Being conscious at that particular moment didn't seem too appealing. I was sore, and light-headed, my whole body felt groddy from sweat and dirt, and I _really_ didn't want to open my eyes just to find out I was still in that cave.

But the voice was insistent, "Open your eyes, sweetheart. You're safe now." The Pessimistic Voice Inside My Head commented, _"Ya, suuuuure. The only way I'm safe is if that beetle ate the part of Bill's brain in charge of jumping around and screaming like an idiot."_ I giggled. Sometimes, the Voice is an entertaining little bitch.

"She's laughing, that's probably a good sign," A woman stated gravely. I thought she sounded like the redheaded woman who Sirius had fought with, however, she wasn't screaming, so I couldn't be sure.

"Wake up, honey," She cooed, and I could feel her hands on my face, tenderly smoothing back my dirty hair. I suddenly realized that I wasn't in the cave anymore. It was light, the air was fresh, and there was no way two adults would have fit in there with me. I opened my eyes.

Indeed, I was back out in the open, and the red-haired woman, along with Bill, and a man with sandy blond hair, and scars on his face were all standing over me, looking worried and relieved at the same time. I sat up, "What-"

"The ceiling collapsed!" Bill announced, sounding _excited_ about my near-death experience, and making me want to put a few hundred beetles down his pants, "It opened up a hole, and I climbed out and got help. See, I told you we weren't gonna die!" He grinned rather proudly, and, for the second time that day, I _so_ wanted to hit him.

"Are you alright, dear?" The woman asked, seeming very genuine. She was checking my pupils, and my pulse, and brushing her hands across my face, and it made me feel rather loved. When she found no obvious injuries, she went on, "Did you get hit in the head at all?"

"No," I said gravely, "I don't think so. It was just too little." She and the man looked slightly confused, but Bill announced brightly, "She told me that little places make her feel sick! I didn't know that before, or else I wouldn't have pushed her into the cave. I would've taken her to the creek instead. The creek is big, and the rope swing is loads of fun, even though the one at the pond at my house is better."

Did that kid ever shut up? (The answer is no.) Anyways, the man and woman looked confused for a few moments longer, but, almost simultaneously, their faces dawned with understanding. "You're claustrophobic!" The woman gasped, "Oh, you poor dear! You must have been terrified!" The Voice commented, _"Well, duuuuuuuhhhhhh! Claustrophobia generally does include a feeling of terror when one finds oneself in very tiny, dark, enclosed spaces."_ I thought that was a little mean, so I decided that I'd had enough of the Voice for one day, and sent her to her room without dinner.

"Ya," I said softly, a little embarrassed, "It was just too little." I looked around a bit, taking in the wide open forest, "But I'm better now."

"Come on, sweetheart," The red-haired woman commanded as she helped me to my feet. "Let's get you back to the house, and you, Billy Weasley," She snapped at the boy, "You should know better than to play in dangerous places like that! You're very fortunate neither of you was seriously injured!"

Bill stared sadly down at his feet, jamming his hands into his pockets as he muttered, "Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry." She glared at him a second longer, then seemed to soften, putting a hand on his shoulder as she began steering the both of us away from the cave, scolding lightly, "Well, see that it doesn't happen again."

xxXxx

The woman's name was Lily Evans-Potter. That was how she introduced herself to me during our long walk back to the house that I was informed belonged to her and her husband, James Potter (the man with the glasses who I happened to have assaulted the night before). She was really, _really_ smart, and not at all as mean as I first thought she was. It was kind of weird for me to think that it was the same woman who had earlier suggested the twins and I be sent to an orphanage.

The man was Remus Lupin, and he wasn't just smart, he was _brilliant_. He was also shy, and didn't say too much, but, still, I liked him almost immediately. I had a feeling he was a lot like me, a quiet, slightly tortured soul whose life had turned out hard, exhausting, and, for the most part, completely unfair, but he was still struggling through as best he could.

When we finally got back, Lily shoved me into a shower, where I thoroughly scrubbed all the cave gunk off myself, leaving a rather nasty mess behind through no fault of my own. When I got out, my clothes had been cleaned, and the large rip on the right knee of my jeans had been repaired. I smiled, because it was a nice gesture.

After having our various cuts and scrapes healed by magic, which amazed me to no end, both Bill, who was now squeaky clean as well, and I were wrangled by the adults into the upstairs office, and told that we had free reign over the books as long as we didn't get ourselves into anymore trouble. Lily even picked one out that she thought we would like before she left us to go back to whatever important, secretive thing the grown ups were doing in the kitchen downstairs. The book was called, _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,_ and Bill and I took turns reading out loud to each other.

I really liked Bill reading to me because he actually did all of the characters in different voices! He even did the girls, high, and squeaky, and prissy sounding, and it made me laugh every time.

I tried doing the voices on my turns, but I thought I sounded stupid, so I gave up after only a few attempts.

Just when Edmund Pevensie was meeting up with the White Witch of Narnia, the door creaked open and another one of the little red-haired boys, the severely freckled one, poked his head inside. He grinned when he saw us, and came in, dragging the littler one with the glasses behind him. "Whatcha doin', Bill?" He asked brightly as plopped himself down between us on the old brown couch where we were sitting. I recognized the look on his face, the hero-worship-of-an-older-sibling look. I see it sometimes from Noah and Judy, and, let me tell you, there's nothing in the world that the feeling you get from it.

Bill grinned proudly, holding out his arms for the smaller redhead to toddle into. "Me and Ivy are reading," He explained, hoisting the little boy onto his lap as he introduced, "Ivy, these are more of my little brothers. This is Percy, he's four, and that's Charlie, he's eight."

"Hello," I greeted shyly, still slightly embarrassed from their uncles having displayed me to them for their 'lesson in Mandom'. Charlie grinned at me, "HI! My uncles said you're pretty." I blushed, and did not respond.

Percy, however, chose that moment to pitch a fit from Bill's lap, so I was once more saved from an uncomfortable situation by the whininess of a small child.

"B-Biwwy! W-W-Wead!" He shouted, looking oddly pompous for a four-year-old as he struggled with his thick glasses, and clumsily grabbed at the open book. However, I immediately liked him because he seemed to have the same _absowetewy adowable_ speech impediment as Noah... What? It was really endearing! Plus the stuttering made me feel bad for him.

"Ok," Bill laughed, "I'll read to you, if you promise to be a good boy." Percy grinned, and nodded. So, we all sat back, and Bill read us more of the story, still doing the voices, and with the added flourish of actually acting out some of the more dramatic scenes for the benefit of his brothers. I could tell he really loved them, and they really loved him. It was funny just how many things I found I adored about those kids in such a short time.

It was dark before I knew it, and Bill looked to be about halfway through the book, right at the part where Peter, Susan, and Lucy Pevensie are being informed by Father Christmas that the evil White Witch's spell of 'always winter and never Christmas' has finally been lifted from the land of Narnia, when his mother finally came to collect him and his brothers.

Bill's mother was a very kindly looking middle-aged woman, with a short, squat body, round, freckled face, and hair that was a few shades of red lighter than that of her children, more copper, like the Prewett twins, rather than tomato, like the boys.

"Hello, dears," She cooed, beaming as she attempted to maneuver baby Ronnie and one of her twins around her very pregnant stomach while not letting go of the other one's hand, even though all three were struggling desperately to escape her. It looked difficult, but she seemed to be fairing impressively well, "Time to go home."

"Ok, Mum," Bill chirped politely as he snapped the book shut. I was a little disappointed to hear that he would be leaving because I had actually enjoyed being around him (aside from our little brush with death, that is), and I wanted to know what would happen next in the story, but wanted _him_ to read it to me.

"Mum, this is Ivy!" He introduced proudly as he got to his feet, swinging Percy around so that the little boy was clutching his back. She smiled at me, "Yes, I know. Hello, dear. I've heard a lot about you. I do hope Bill didn't scare you too badly today. I've told him time and time again not to play in dangerous places, but he just doesn't seem to want to listen. Well, maybe this experience will have taught him better of it."

I shuddered, "Just as long as I don't have to go into anymore caves." Bill gave me an apologetic look as his mother laughed, "Indeed. Well, dear, your brother and sister are asleep in Harry's room, and Lily said to tell you that, whenever you're hungry, you are welcome to come down to the kitchen for something to eat."

I smiled, "Ok, thank you." She smiled warmly in return, "No trouble at all. Alright, boys, everyone up! Let's get going! It's past your bedtimes!"

Grumbling slightly, Charlie leapt to his feet and followed his mother from the room. Bill lingered behind, Percy dozing slightly, his glasses crooked and drool collecting at the corner of his mouth as he clung tightly to his brother's back. Bill smiled at me, "Bye, Ivy. I hope we get to play again. You were fun. Sorry again about the cave. I promise next time we'll go to the creek instead, and we'll finish reading the book. I can't wait to find out what happens!"

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face, "Me, too. Bye, Bill." With another broad grin, he turned and marched out of the room. I was sad to see him go, and sat for a few moments considering whether or not I should continue reading, or wait until the next time I saw him to find out what would happen next. I decided I'd wait, and, considering I'm just about one of the most impatient people on the face of the planet and can't stand to wait for anything, that was a very big gesture on my part.

I checked on the twins, and they were, as Bill's mother had reported, asleep in Harry's room. In fact, they were sleeping in Harry's crib with him. It was really adorable. Despite Judy's earlier objections to the boy, she was cuddled between him and Noah, irregular jet spikes, sleek gold ringlets, and shaggy brown waves clashing against a field of red cotton. All three looked completely exhausted and completely at peace. I left them and made my way downstairs.

"Oh, there you are," Lily chirped brightly when I stepped into the kitchen, "Have a seat. Are you hungry?"

I nodded as I pulled out a chair at the table, plopping down in it as she began bustling about. Opening cabinets and rearranging pots and pans, she asked, "What would you like?"

I had a choice? Whoa. It took me a while to answer because I was a bit overwhelmed with the fact that she had asked me what I wanted instead of just throwing a box of uncooked pasta at my head and telling me to shut the hell up, as both my mother and Bernadette had done at one time or another. Fortunately, I wasn't completely incompetent in the kitchen, and knew how to cook quite a few things, pasta, coincidentally, happened to be one of them. I almost always cooked my own meals, and the twins' meals.

"You don't have to make me anything. I can do it," I told her after a long, rather confused pause. She eyed me strangely, "What? Oh, nonsense, dear. It's no trouble at all. Hmmm... Do you like rice?"

When I nodded, she pulled out one of those sticks, which I knew by then were magic wands, gave it a few flicks, and stuff started flying around. With a little chuckle at my amazed expression, she busied herself making dinner, fried rice, with chicken, peas, and carrots. It was really good.

She ate with me, and we talked. Well, mostly she talked, but that's typical of a lot of conversations I have so it wasn't that big of a deal. She stayed on neutral topics, books, weather, stuff like that. I don't remember most of it, but I do know that I somehow ended up apologizing for slashing her husband the night before.

"I'm sorry," I told her, "I really didn't mean to hurt anybody. I didn't know what was going on, and Noah and Judy-" She cut me off with a wave of her hand, "I get it, and, as far as I'm concerned, you're completely forgiven as long as you don't ever bring a knife into my house again." I nodded soberly, "Sure thing."

xxXxx

I ended up sleeping on the old brown couch in the office once again because Sirius hadn't shown up. I sat up with Lily until around midnight. She tried to teach me chess while we were waiting for him and James to return from what she would only tell me was an 'important mission'. I had to listen to hours of, "I'm sure they're on their way," "They should be here in no time at all," "I have no idea what could be keeping them," and, "I hope nothing's happened..." Needless to say, it was a bit annoying, and repetitive, and only made me more nervous, so I was grateful when she decided I should just go to sleep.

In the morning, they still weren't back and no one had heard from either of them. Lily was freaking out kind of a lot. I ended up volunteering to take care of Harry, Noah, and Judy so that she wouldn't be distracted from her nervous pacing. I don't think she even heard me, but I did it anyways.

I woke them, and dressed them, even though it was quite difficult since Judy kept making Harry cry. However, every time Judy made him cry, Noah was there to comfort him and get him to stop. I could tell it was confusing the hell out of poor boy.

When that was through, I took them downstairs, carrying Harry while Noah and Judy followed behind me, bickering, which was part of their usual morning routine. I had been planning on going to straight to the kitchen to make them all breakfast, but as we passed through the living room I had to stop because what I saw was utterly terrifying.

Lily had her head in the fireplace. I did a complete double-take and almost dropped her son when I first noticed it. The flames were bright green, _and she had her head **in** them!_

I was about two seconds away from dive tackling her when she suddenly pulled back, with no horrendous and severe burns on her face whatsoever. I was _amazed_, even more so when Remus Lupin stepped through the flames and into the living room shortly after.

He laughed at me when he saw my expression, greeting, "Good morning, Ivy. Don't be alarmed, it's just floo-travel. Perfectly harmless." I nodded, still a little bit frightened despite his assurance, and retreated into the kitchen.

"I thought you said we couldn't play with fire!" Judy shouted angrily as I lifted her into a chair, "You said it would burn us!"

"You can't, and it will," I explained distractedly as I put Noah across from her and secured Harry into a highchair between them. She glared at me, arguing, "That lady did it, and she didn't get burned! You're a liar! You lied about Disneyworld, and you lied about the fire, too!"

I rolled my eyes at her. She really wasn't planning on letting that Disneyworld thing go. She had even insisted that I allow her to wear her Cinderella dress (a blue cotton frock with the character's face printed on the front that had once been mine) as a way of reminding me. "That's different," I told her, "That lady's a witch."

There was a collective gasp from the twins, and Noah reported gravely, "You said a bad wowd!" I laughed, "No I didn't. That's a different word you're thinking of."

"LIAR!" Judy shouted immediately, pointing her finger at me accusingly. She wobbled a bit in the chair, however, and managed to poke Harry in the eye, making him cry once more. As Noah and I tried to comfort the poor little thing, I turned to Judy and commanded, slightly cross with her, "Oh, you be quiet."

When Harry was once again calm, I made oatmeal for him and the twins. While they ate (and I use _ate_ in the loosest sense of the word since most of it ended up in their hair, and I was going to have to give them a bath afterwards), I made scrambled eggs and toast for Lily, Remus, and myself, and momentarily left the twins and Harry to bring plates out to them.

"You made us breakfast?" They asked simultaneously, seeming shocked. "Um..." I replied nervously, "Ya... I thought you might be hungry..." From the way they were looking at me, I was starting to think maybe I had done something wrong.

"I can't believe you did that all on your own!" Lily announced, absentmindedly picking at the eggs. She suddenly snapped her head up and asked, "Oh, but you didn't give any to Harry, did you? He won't eat eggs."

I shook my head, "No. I made oatmeal for him and the twins. They won't eat eggs either... is... is that ok?

This just seemed to surprise her even further. "That's..." She struggled over her words as she exchanged glances with Remus, "That's perfectly fine, dear. Actually, very helpful. Thank you."

I could feel myself blushing as I looked down at my toes. I didn't understand why she was making such a big deal out of it, and I _really_ didn't understand the praise. Usually, for doing almost exactly the same thing, I would get criticized, and then knocked about the head with a cane. I muttered a quick, "You're welcome," then ran back to the kitchen.

I ate, cleaned until the whole room was spotless, then took the twins and Harry upstairs, and gave them all a bath together. Harry was mesmerized by Judy, and she would slap him in the face every time she caught him staring. Surprisingly, Noah didn't seem willing to stop her. Like I said before, he's always been really protective of Judy and me, and if there was one thing even he couldn't tolerate, it was someone perving on either of us.

By the time all that was through, more people had shown up, a few of whom I recognized from before but hadn't talked to, and they were running frantically around the living room, talking, yelling, arguing, a few were taking turns shouting into the fireplace, and more were writing letters and attaching them to the various owls that would fly in. It was all very overwhelming, and I didn't gather what they were doing before I was shuttled out into the front yard with the instructions to keep an eye on all the kids until someone came and got us. We were out there for about six hours.

It wasn't bad at all, though. I made Judy a daisy chain, and she put it on her head and sat beside me pretending to be a princess as she chattered nonstop while Noah and Harry ran around in the grass, laughing and apparently getting along quite well. I relaxed, and soaked up some sun. It really was a beautiful day.

When I heard the pop, a bolt of fear shot straight through me from head to toe. It was just like the ones I heard at the bus station, and I was immediately terrified. I made to grab for all the kids, to shield them from the onslaught of exploding bursts of colorful light that I was expecting, but, instead, all I saw was the man with the black hair and glasses, whose name I knew by then was James Potter, standing a short distance away on the dirt path that led to the house.

At first, I was relieved. He was holding his stomach with one arm, the other hanging limply at his side, barely clutching his wand, and he looked completely blank. I waved sheepishly, but I don't think he saw because that was about the time he slumped to the ground.

I ran over, cautiously, just in case more people decided to show up and begin the firefight that I was expecting. When I got to him, I saw that he was covered in blood, and it was spurting profusely out of a huge, open wound on his lower abdomen.

Needless to say, I was a bit freaked, but I did what any person with a scrap of humanity in them would, I pressed on the gash to try to stop the bleeding, and started screaming for help at the top of my lungs.

A few minutes later, no one had heard me still, and James was getting worse. Blood was bubbling out of his mouth as he gurgled what I assumed was an attempt at speech, and he was getting pale and cold. Another pop came from just behind me, and I jumped, but by that time James was writhing and moaning in pain, and I wasn't about to just run away and leave him there, so I didn't move. I just hoped that whoever it was, was friendly.

"Prongs!" I recognized Sirius' voice, and almost sobbed with relief. The next few seconds passed in a whirlwind. He pulled me off of James just as I heard the front door finally slam open, and all the people inside raced over, yelling frantically as I crawled back to avoid getting trampled. They swarmed him, and then James' body floated into the air, and all the people hurriedly rushed him back to the house. Lily was squeezing his hand and crying, and Sirius was shouting at him to hang on. Everything went silent again as the crowd passed inside.

I was too stunned to move, not that I could have even if I had thought of it at the time since I was shaking so severely. I was kneeling in the dirt, up to my elbows in blood, and it was soaking the front of my t-shirt, and my jeans. I could smell it, coppery, like pennies, and it was turning sticky as it dried on my skin. I just wanted it off me, but I couldn't make my body carry out the required actions.

The twins and Harry were chasing a cat through the long grass. It was an orangish tabby, with one all white spot on the top of its head. Judy tried to tackle it, but missed, and just lay in the grass, grinning up at the wide blue sky with her blond curls spread out all around her like a halo, even though the only way that girl's ever gonna get one is if she beats someone up and steals it (and I definitely wouldn't put that past her). Harry made to chase after the cat, but fell over after only a few steps then promptly burst into tears. Noah abandoned his own efforts to catch the bouncing ball of fur in order to comfort Harry, slinging an arm around the boy's shoulders and making faces at him until he couldn't help but laugh. I thought it was all really cute.

I don't remember thinking anything else for a very long time.


	5. Part 5: The Prodigies

Part 5 - The Prodigies.

The next thing I remember is someone saying my name.

I blinked, and suddenly it was dark, and I was very, very cold. I didn't know where I was, or what had happened, and, for once, I didn't care. Experiencing complete and utter apathy after having had a life full of nothing but anxiety and fear was just so completely freeing. It was intoxicating, and, though I didn't remember them, I never wanted things to go back to the way they had been.

The feeling only lasted a few seconds, and then everything came crashing back down. "Ivy?" It was Sirius, and he was crouched down beside me in the dirt. I realized I was still where I was earlier in the afternoon, that I hadn't moved from the spot since they'd taken James away into the house, that I was covered in his blood, and that there was a dark stain crawling with ants in the dirt just a foot or two away from me.

I panicked. I was supposed to have been watching the twins and Harry, but they were nowhere to be found. I turned to Sirius, frantic as I asked, "Where are-" He cut me off before I could finish, reporting brightly, "Wandered inside hours ago. They're sleeping now."

I was relieved, but still felt horrible for not watching them. And there was still the matter of, "Mr. Potter?"

Sirius smirked, "He's fine, and you should probably call him James. He doesn't really like being called Mr. Potter." I nodded. That was all I needed to know. I was content to go back to staring blankly out in front of myself for the rest of my life.

Sirius, however, had different plans. "Aren't you cold?" He asked, sounding concerned, yet slightly mocking as he took a seat beside me, folding his long legs in front of himself. I looked at him strangely, and paused for a minute before answering, "I don't think so."

"Well, I am," He reported with an exaggerated and rather theatrical shiver, "BRRR! Can we go inside?" I thought about it for a bit, then nodded, but didn't move at all. He got to his feet, and brushed himself off, laughing as he held out his hand, and commanded, "Well, come on then. No sense in sitting out here all night." I looked at his hand, then at my own. They were still covered with blood, but it was dry by then, and flaking, and mixed with the dust from the road. I tried rubbing it off on my jeans, but it didn't do much.

"They're dirty," I informed Sirius, who was still holding his hand out expectantly. He smirked, "It's alright. I don't mind."

I put my hand into his, and he pulled me to my feet.

However, since I had been sitting on my legs for hours, they were asleep, and immediately gave out under me with a sharp bolt of pain that made me cringe. Sirius held me up by the arm, laughing as he struggled to get me to stay standing, "What's the matter? You don't want to stay out here, do you?"

I kept trying to move my legs, but nothing was happening, and it was scary. It felt like I was being stuck with millions of pins on all the skin below my waist, and it hurt, a lot. "I think my legs are asleep," I whimpered him quietly, "They won't move."

"Oh," He replied, hooking one of his arms behind my knees and the other behind my back, "I'll just give you a ride until they're awake then, ya?" Before I had a chance to answer, he started carrying me back towards the house, and I have to admit that I liked it. It felt like he cared, and he was warm, with a loud steady heartbeat that I could hear before I'd even realized that I'd rested my head against his chest. I was asleep before we got inside.

xxXxx

I woke up on the brown leather couch for the third time in two days. I was wearing clothes that weren't mine, a huge white t-shirt that went to my knees, and a pair of equally large, red flannel pajama pants. More importantly, I was clean, all the blood and dirt gone from my body.

When I stood up I even found that my legs were working again, and I was quite glad for that, even though the standing did make the pants fall down to my ankles. I had to hold them up around my chin with both hands when I exited the room, and even then I was still tripping over them.

I had been planning on walking down the hall to the nursery to find the twins, however, I heard Noah and Judy's unmistakable laughs coming from downstairs, so I turned in that direction instead. I looked over the landing (this time _not_ sticking my head between the railings), and saw that my jubilant pair were having the time of their lives.

Along with Harry, they were play wrestling with Sirius on the floor. Noah was tightly hugging the man's legs together, screaming and giggling as Sirius swung him back and forth through the air. Judy was straddling his stomach, looking very into the whole thing as she pummeled him in the gut with her teeny fists, grunting with each blow. Sirius had Harry in both hands, and was holding him over his head. The two were making faces at each other and giggling as Harry flailed his arms and legs wildly in Sirius' general direction, and screamed at the top of his lungs. It was goofy, and awkward, but really cute.

James was on the blue couch in the middle of the room, shirtless and wrapped in a thick white bandage from hip to sternum, laughing his ass off at the scene in front of him. "Are you in need of assistance, Master Padfoot?" He chuckled, leaning heavily on the pillows behind his back as he folded his arms behind his head.

"Not at all, Master Prongs," Sirius replied in a bright, yet pained voice, "And don't you even think about getting off that bloody couch! Evans already wants to kill me, I don't need you falling and hurting yourself while I was supposed to be watching you added to her list of justifications. Merlin knows there's enough on there as it is."

James chuckled as he adjusted his position, wincing slightly when he moved his midsection, "Nah. She wouldn't kill you, far too sadistic for that. She'd wanna make you suffer. My guess would be she'd screw with your bike." That comment seemed to get Sirius' attention, and he immediately sat up, making Judy roll off his stomach with an indignant little huff.

"Not Scarlett!" He yelped as he tried to stand and make a run for the door, "She didn't do anything to anyone! Why would Evans hurt my girl?" Before he could get to it, however, the tight hold Noah had on his legs sent him straight back down to the floor in an explosion of waving limbs. He landed on his face, and barely had time to grunt before all three kids were on top of him again, all on his back, looking like they were greatly enjoying themselves.

James was laughing so hard he was crying, I wasn't entirely sure if it was just _that_ funny (which it kind of was), or if it was from the humungous gash on his stomach, but, either way, it was entertaining. "You got your arse kicked!" He gasped between laughs, "By a bunch of _babies!_ BWAHAHAHAHA!"

Sirius glared at him as he rolled onto his back and put Noah in a light headlock while trying to fend of Judy's attempted punches to his face, "You're one to talk! You got your arse kicked by a little girl! At least I was outnumbered!" I giggled at that, and the both of them finally noticed me watching them from the top of the stairs.

Sirius immediately had his attention shifted back to the three toddlers who were attempting to pummel him into submission as Harry picked that moment to turn the man's stomach into a trampoline. James, however, grinned at me, exclaiming, "OY! Sleeping Beauty! 'Bout time you got up. Come on down here and keep me company."

I didn't feel nervous at all about doing just that. I wasn't as scared of him as I had been that first night, and I didn't really see how I could've been in the first place. He just looked so... nice. His hair was sticking out in all directions, and his eyes were a bright, shining brown, huge behind his wire-rimmed glasses. He had a boyish face, with pinchable cheeks, and a lopsided, goofy grin. I think he just reminded me of an overgrown kid, especially since he was wearing a pair of fuzzy purple socks, the right one sporting a large hole that his big toe was sticking out of, and Christmas themed pajama pants that featured happy cartoon Santa Clauses dancing across them. It was late-April.

"How're you feeling today, cutie?" He asked, smiling big as I took a seat in an armchair, tucking my feet beneath myself and blushing as I continued to wrestle with my oversized clothing. "I'm fine," I told him softly, "How are you?"

He patted his bandaged stomach as he laughed, "Been better, but I'll live. Thanks for coming to my rescue yesterday." I saw he also had a bandage on his arm, and felt guilty because I knew that was where I slashed him. I replied shyly, nodding my head towards it, "You're welcome. Sorry for that."

He laughed, waving the injured arm, "What, this? Aw, no worries! Just a scratch!" He had this real easy manner about him, like he was invincible, like nothing could ever hurt him, or bring him down. It was... comforting. He had me smiling again in no time.

"Want some candy?" He asked, holding half a chocolate bar out to me. I smiled graciously and accepted it, taking a bite as he did the same. He laughed with his mouth full, "Just don't tell Lily I fed you candy for lunch. She'd have my head."

"It's lunchtime?" I yelped in surprise, looking around frantically for a clock, "How long was I asleep?" James speculatively chomped on his block of chocolate, "Urm... I don't know... I was out of it until this morning, but I think Padfoot said he brought you inside around eleven o'clock, so... fourteen hours."

"Gosh," I mumbled, "I usually don't sleep that long..." It was rather perplexing, and I thought hard on the matter as I finished my chocolate.

"Phew!" Sirius gasped a few minutes later, finally seeming to have gotten the upper hand over the three toddlers, holding all of them struggling in his lap, "All this talk of lunch is making me hungry. What are we doing for it, by the way?"

James shrugged, waving the chocolate, "Me and Ivy are set, I suppose the little ones can have some of that mush in jars Lil is always buying, and you'll have to starve."

Sirius gaped at him, "Some friend you are!" James snickered, "Well, what am I supposed to do? There's no more chocolate, and you know Lily's banned the both of us from the kitchen after last time. Neither of us can cook anyways."

"I can," I volunteered weakly. They both stared at me like I'd grown an extra head, but I took a deep breath and went on anyways, "I can cook, and I'll make lunch." I hopped up from my seat and scurried into the kitchen before they could say anything. After tripping over my pants more times than I could keep track of, I found a couple of boxes of macaroni and cheese, so I made that.

When I was through, I poked my head back out into the living room to find that James was still on the couch. Judy was sitting on his legs, chattering on and on about something while he listened patiently, smiling brightly, and nodding in all the right places. Sirius was still on the floor, with his back leaned up against the couch. He had Noah and Harry in his lap, and all three were whispering and giggling loudly over something.

"Um..." I cut in quietly, getting their attention, "Lunch is ready. Should I bring it in there?" The two men looked at each other, shrugged, and then James told me, "Ya, sure. What did you make, sandwiches, or something?"

"Um, no," I said, a little nervous, "Did you want sandwiches? Because I can makes sandwiches, too, if you want."

He waved me off, "No, sweetie, whatever you made is fine." I smiled sheepishly and darted back into the kitchen, where I portioned out the meal into bowls, set them onto a tray I found, and then carried the whole thing into the living room.

From the way Sirius and James gaped at me, I thought maybe my extra head had begun reciting Shakespeare. "You..." Sirius began, staring down into the noodles, "You made this?" I nodded, and handed out the bowls. James took his and picked lightly at it as he said with a laugh, "Wow. I feel stupid. Me and Padfoot tried to make macaroni one day, and... well, let's just say it's why we're banned from the kitchen."

Thinking he was joking, I laughed as I took a seat at the far end of the room, however, Sirius cut in bitterly, "You singed my eyebrows off..." James rolled his eyes, "I said I was sorry, and they grew back, didn't they? Let it go, mate!"

xxXxx

Lunch was fun. Sirius and James were really nice guys, and _really_ funny. As great as I already thought Sirius was on his own, he was three times more hilarious with James there to complete him. If it hadn't been for the different last names, I would've sworn those two were brothers, maybe even twins.

When everyone finished eating, I got up to take the bowls back to the kitchen and wash them, however, Sirius stopped me, "Nu uh, kiddo. If you cook, I clean. That's the rule." James laughed, "And that goes for me, too, except I'm forbidden from leaving the couch right now, so next time, I guess."

Sirius chuckled and shook his head as he pushed his way into the kitchen. Almost as soon as he left, a body fell out of the fireplace, and I jumped nearly a foot into the air.

"IVY! He's not burned either!" Judy whined petulantly, "How come he's not burned?" I completely ignored her because I really didn't know the answer, and the man stood up and brushed himself off. I recognized that it was Remus, and he had my backpack in his hand. I'd been wondering where that went.

"Hey, Moony," James greeted brightly, smiling as he tried to sit up far enough to grab Harry off the floor. Remus grinned, "Hey, Prongs. How are you feeling?"

"Peachy," He grunted in frustration, struggling with getting another few inches of bend in his waist because Harry was toddling around with Noah just out of his grasp, "Thought you were working today."

Remus smiled, "I am. Moody finished screening Ivy's things for jinxes, curses, and the like, and he's given me the ok to give everything back to her, so, here you go." He held the bag out to me, and I took it with a quiet, "Thank you," before I opened it to make sure all my things were still there. They were. The only thing still missing was my knife.

"Did Padfoot cook?" Remus asked, sounding surprised as he sniffed the air, smirking, "Macaroni? I would've thought you two'd learned your lesson last time, and aren't you still banned from the kitchen?" James, finally having given up on his attempt to snag Harry from the floor, leaned back against the couch and grinned mockingly, "We did, we are, and Ivy's the one who cooked. She made us macaroni and cheese!" I giggled, because the way he said it was cute, like he was taunting Remus that I'd made food for them, but not him.

Remus grinned mockingly right back, "Well, she made me scrambled eggs and toast yesterday, and it was delicious." Both of them turned to smirk at me, and I suddenly found myself blushing again.

Sirius chose that moment to bounce back into the living room, declaring as he sat by James' feet on the armrest of the blue couch, "Thought I heard you, Moony! What's going on, mate? Aren't you supposed to be working today?"

Remus grinned, "I am. I was sent to deliver Ivy's things, and, also, Dumbledore wants me to test her for magical abilities. Based on her being able to activate the port key, and what you two said happened in..." He trailed off when he saw me perk up, clearly interested. It was silent for a few moments, but then he coughed awkwardly, and continued, "Right, anyways, Dumbledore thinks it's likely she is magical, and wants to know for sure."

I was a bit nervous. I didn't know what this test was, and wasn't sure if I wanted to do it. What if it was hard? Or scary? And what if I failed? However, before I could think about it too much, Remus came over and knelt in front of me, pulling a wand out of his pocket and presenting it to me as he said, "It'll be very simple. All you have to do is take my wand, and give it a wave, and we'll see what happens."

I nodded, and cautiously grasped the end he was holding out. Once I had it, he took a step back, and everyone in the room was suddenly watching me very intently, small children included. Even the twins and Harry seemed to sense that something was about to happen. I gulped, and swished the black stick a little bit out in front of myself.

Sirius, James, and the blue couch they were both sitting on suddenly shot into the air, and flew across the room, slamming hard into the wall and embedding themselves with a loud crash and explosion of flying debris. Harry and Noah started crying, and I faintly heard Judy gasp, "COOL!"

"SORRY!" I shouted as I hurriedly dropped the wand, and jumped up to see what kind of damage I had done to the two men.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that they were both laughing as Sirius helped James limp himself away from the wreckage. "Merlin," James exclaimed, holding his stomach, "What a little powerhouse you are! Never would've suspected!" Sirius joined in, shaking drywall out of his hair like a wet dog shakes water out of its fur as he snickered, "It's always the quiet ones, Master Prongs!"

"I'm sorry!" I yelped, "I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to! Are you alright?" They were still laughing, which I took to be a good sign, though I was still mortified and feeling guilty as hell. "No harm done," Sirius laughed as he set James down in an armchair, "We're alright, and I think a few spells will have the mess cleaned up. No one, meaning Evans, will be the wiser."

I was relieved again, and Sirius and Remus quickly set to work waving those wands of theirs to make everything begin flying back to the way it had been. However, I noticed something, and my eyes grew wide and horrified as I gasped and pointed to James, "You're bleeding!"

Sure enough, the previously pristine white bandage around his middle was soaking through with blood. He looked down casually, and stated, "Huh. So I am. Don't worry. It probably just got a bit jarred, and opened up again. I think I was supposed to change the bandage soon anyways. Hey, what's the matter?"

The matter was that I felt unbelievably horrible about what I'd just done to him! The man had just suffered what could've been a mortal wound, and there I was tossing him across living rooms! I wanted to kick my ass!

There was also a small part of me that was terrified they were going to punish me like Aunt Bernadette used when I did something bad...

"I-I'm sorry..." I sniffed sheepishly. My vision was going blurry, and my throat was getting tight, but I was not going to allow myself to cry. I was still slightly upset that I'd done so in front of Sirius that first night, and it wouldn't be happening again any time soon if I could help it.

"Hey, hey, no, shhh! It's alright!" James tried to comfort me in a rushed jumble of frantic, confused words. He looked horrified, and bewildered, and completely out of his element. "Look, see," He went on as he put one hand on my shoulder and lovingly petted back my chopped up hair with the other, "I'm fine! And it wasn't your fault, and it's not at all as bad as it looks! It doesn't even hurt, and... uh... PADFOOT!"

"Ya, wh... OH!" Sirius gasped upon turning away from the disaster zone and seeing James looking distraught, and me about to burst into tears. (I was never going to, it just looked like it. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.) He bounded quickly over and plucked me up off the ground, spinning me as he sat down on the coffee table so he was holding me on his lap. "Don't be upset, kiddo," He said, hugging me and rocking me a little, "You didn't do anything wrong, and nobody got hurt. James, he bleeds easy, and we're gonna have him fixed up in no time anyways so there's nothing for you to worry about. And, look, see, all the damage from the couch is already gone."

I sniffed again, resting my head against his chest as I turned it to see that, indeed, all the damage I had caused was no longer present, and the couch was where it had been before. I wouldn't have even known what had just happened if I hadn't witnessed it.

I also saw that Remus was attending to James' wounds, carefully unwrapping the bandage from around him. As soon as it fell away, I caught a glimpse of the gaping wound on his lower stomach, a gash that started on the right side, level with his navel, and went in a downward slope all the way to just above his left hip. It was certainly smaller than I remembered it being the night before, and definitely not quite as bloody, but it was still large, and oozing steadily. It was one of the grossest things I'd ever seen, yet still strangely fascinating.

I watched quietly as Remus smeared some kind of mint-green paste all over it, making James wince slightly and complain about it stinging. Remus called him a wimp, and then expertly wrapped a new bandage. When James was patched up, Remus helped him back to the couch, and set him up just as he had been before, with his feet stretched out, and a pile of pillows behind his back. After that, the blond haired man scooped Noah and Harry up off the ground, and rocked them until they both stopped crying. Judy, of course, was still laughing her twisted little ass off at the other side of the room. I worry about her sometimes...

"See then," Sirius cooed close to my ear, his nose brushing against my hair, "No harm done. You ok now?" I nodded, and I could feel him smile as he hugged me tighter to himself, and gave a relieved sigh.

"SO!" James interjected a few seconds later, "I think it's safe to say that she's definitely magical!"

xxXxx

Remus left pretty soon after that, but he did stay long enough for me to see that as shy as I thought he was the other day, he was completely the opposite around James and Sirius. In the same way that those two completed each other, they completed him. They were so close, more so than brothers, I think. I could tell that they loved each other very much.

After he left, we spent the rest of the day just lying around. We didn't really do anything at all, yet it was still some of the most fun I'd had up until that date. James and Sirius were so great with all the kids, including Judy, who can really be obnoxious, and they even succeeded in getting me talking, which is no easy feat.

I ended up getting my clothes back shortly after lunch when the dryer suddenly dinged. Sirius jumped, and looked confused. James rolled his eyes and started explaining the machine to him, professing it to be the hundredth time he'd tried. While they were doing that, I got up and folded all the laundry, finding my jeans and t-shirt, dirt and blood free once more, which I then changed into before rejoining the conversation in the living room.

Lily got home around dinnertime, looking quite frazzled. She immediately went straight to James, gave him a big hug, and a passionate kiss, then began grilling him about how he was feeling. He laughed at her, and made a few lewd comments as he tried to convince her to cuddle with him. All he got for his troubles was a smack upside the head, and a command to behave himself in front of company.

"Padfoot isn't company!" He protested loudly as he struggled to pull Lily down onto the couch with him, "He practically lives here!"

"But, fortunately," She countered brightly as she fought her way out of his grasp and scooped her booger-eating baby up from the ground, "He doesn't. He has his own perfectly lovely home, which he has to be getting back to because Dumbledore is meeting him. He wants to talk about..." She trailed off when she caught a glimpse of me, then finished lamely, "The thing..." It was obvious that it had something to do with me, I wasn't an idiot, after all.

"What thing?" Sirius inquired dumbly. Lily glared at him, trying to subtly nod in my direction. He didn't catch on for awhile. James was snickering, along with Noah and Judy, who were seated on either side of him. It seemed everyone in the room understood what the 'thing' was except for Sirius.

"What thing?" He asked again, clearly even more confused by all the laughter. He was getting frustrated, and a little annoyed, and it was _hilarious._ The moment he finally figured it out was priceless. He was scanning the room, as he asked again, "What-" He cut himself off when his eyes landed on me, and gasped loudly, "OOOOOHHHHH! _The Thing!_"

James, Harry, the twins, and I all burst out laughing. I couldn't help it! It was classic!

"Honestly," Lily grumbled, rolling her eyes as she turned to me, "Come on, hun. I'll help you get your stuff together." I jumped up and followed Lily upstairs where she helped me with packing all of the twins clothes and toys back into the duffle bag. When that was done, I hefted it onto my shoulder, along with my backpack, and got ready to go to my new home.

"Are you sure that's everything?" She asked, still looking around purposefully. "Ya..." I replied, "Sort of... Um... Could I have my knife back now?"

She gave me a _very_ disapproving look, one that clearly said she thought I should not have a knife. I looked down at my toes, suddenly feeling very shy again. "I'm not going to carry it, or use it on anyone," I mumbled, nervously tugging on the uneven hair at my jaw line, "It's just... It was my daddy's, so I'd like to please have it back... Please?"

I bit my lip, steeling myself for her to say no as I glanced up at her through my eyelashes. However, I saw her expression soften quite a bit, and she smiled slightly as she put her hand on my shoulder, leading me out of the room. "Sirius is holding it," She told me quietly, "I'm sure he'll give it back to you. Just, please do not bring it to my home again." I sighed with relief, "Don't worry. I promised I wouldn't, and I won't."

Back downstairs, Judy was trying to beat Sirius up again, and Noah and Harry were seated on either of James' legs. Noah was trying to teach Harry to count, something he'd mastered with my help just a few weeks previous.

"One," He exclaimed, holding his index finger so close to Harry's face that he was almost smudging the poor boy's glasses. "Two," He went on, grabbing Harry's hand and trying to coax him into mimicking. Harry looked terrified, leaning away for help towards his very amused looking father. "Thwee," By that time, Noah was looking disturbingly fixated on forcing some reaction other than confusion out of Harry.

I decided to take some pity, and stalked over to scoop my little brother away before he did any permanent psychological damage, scolding, "Leave him alone, No." Lily chuckled, combing her fingers through Noah's shaggy, dark brown hair in an attempt to tidy it up a bit, "It's alright. He's such a bright little boy."

I beamed. I loved being told how great the twins are, and I still do. "Thanks," I said. She smiled sweetly, "You're welcome. How old are they?"

"Noah will be one on October 23rd, and Judy on the 24th," I said, "They're twins, but they were born on different days, so they have different birthdays."

"I'm a Libwa!" Noah reported brightly from beneath my arm. Judy, not to be outdone, shouted grumpily, "Well, I'm a Scorpio! That's way, way, way, _way_ cooler! Scorpions are cooler than stupid scales!" Ok, ya, maybe it's kind of weird to be teaching astrology to babies, but I've always been a bit fascinated by it, and they really did have sponges for brains, so I couldn't help that they remembered what I had told them about star signs.

The adults looked a bit stunned, but Sirius reacted first, laughing, "That's nice. I'm a Taurus." I grinned, because I am, too. James started snickering, while Lily just continued to look shocked.

"They're the _same age as Harry!_" She shouted, looking about ready to burst into tears, "No, Harry is a few months _older_ than them!" I didn't get what she found so utterly scandalizing about that, and I don't think James or Sirius did either because they looked just as confused as I felt. Lily's bottom lip was shaking, and her big green eyes were getting glassy as she asked (rhetorically, I'm sure), "How come Harry can't do all of the things they can? They can talk, and count, and tell they're star signs, and they're potty-trained!"

I got it then. She was half jealous, half worried that her kid was an idiot. It was an understandable fear, considering the evidence, but I didn't think she had anything to worry about. Like I said, Noah and Judy were sort of geniuses, and it wasn't fair to compare them to other kids.

"Aw, Lil," James cooed, desperately trying to sit up far enough to grab her into a hug, "It's alright. I'm sure Harry will catch up."

"Don't worry," I said quietly, "There's nothing wrong with Harry. Noah and Judy are just especially smart. They're ahead of almost all other babies." Lily didn't look at all pacified by that. If anything, it made her even more upset.

And, of course, Judy had to go and make it worse, reporting proudly as Sirius swung her up onto his shoulders, "The lady from the pre-school with the big teeth told me I was a child prodigy!" She sounded so freaking stuck up, and she didn't look like she cared at all that she was about to make a grown woman burst into tears. Knowing Judy, I'd say she was even enjoying it.

"Me, too!" Noah contributed, squirming under my arm, still counting on his fingers, and moving on to his toes as it became necessary, "One, two, thwee, fouw, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thiwteen, fouwteen..." He trailed off, then looked up at me, asking with a big, dimply smile, "Ivy, what comes aftaw fouwteen?"

I swung him up so I was holding him face-to-face with me, and reported, "Fifteen, No." He grinned, shouting, "Fifteen!" He was done with counting for the time being, I knew. That was how he always did it. He would count until he didn't know the next number, then he would ask me what it was, say it out loud to himself, and stop. The next time he would make an attempt at counting he would be able to go one number further than he had before, and the whole thing would start over.

Just as I thought, he didn't continue. Instead, he yawned, slinging his arms around my neck and snuggling his head under my chin as he reported quietly, "Sleepy. Bedtime."

I looked up, to find that Lily still looked close to tears, James was still struggling to get up and comfort her, and Judy was still on Sirius' shoulders, fisting her hands tightly in his hair. Sirius smirked, "Sounds like I'd best be getting the prodigies off to bed. Night Prongs, little Prongs, Evans."

"Night, mate," James replied, groaning as he at last succeeded in getting himself up into a sitting position. Lily finally noticed his struggle, and immediately shoved him down so he was flat on his back again, scolding, "James! Stop that! You'll hurt yourself! You know Mary said at least a week of rest, and no stress on the wound! What were you thinking?"

"But, Lil," He whined, pouting at her like a little boy, "You were upset. I just wanted to make you feel better. There's nothing wrong with Harry. I know you had your heart set on him being a genius like you, but I think he might've ended up with my brains instead. It's not a bad thing, because he won't be an idiot, but he'll still probably never be quite as smart as you are."

She smiled a little, "Suck up." James grinned, "Caught me." And then they kissed, a sweet little peck that left me all warm and fuzzy inside just from having witnessed it.

I could tell that those two really belonged with each other, and it reminded me of my parents, back in the days when Daddy was still alive, and Momma still loved us. I would watch them together sometimes, watch how they smiled stupidly at one another for no reason, how one would just randomly grab and hug the other tight like they suddenly needed a fix, how their hands would always find each other's no matter where they were, or what they were doing. It made me miss them so much.

I was so lost in my own little world that I didn't hear the adults say my name the first time. Or the second time. Or the third time, for that matter. It only finally registered that they were trying to get my attention when Noah reached up and poked me in the cheek, yawning, "Ivy! Wake up!"

I jumped a little, startled as I glanced around at the slightly worried expressions of James, Lily, and Sirius, and asked, "Sorry, what?" Sirius looked concerned, "It's just, uh, time to go. You feeling alright?"

I nodded, "Ya, fine. I was just thinking." I turned to James and Lily, saying graciously, "Thank you very much for letting us stay here." They both smiled, James announcing, "It was a pleasure, cutie. Come on, gimme a hug before you leave."

I did give him a hug, a rather awkward one seeing as how I was still holding Noah, and he ended up sandwiched between us, whining tiredly about being squished, but it was still nice. After that, Lily grabbed me into a hug, making some comment about taking me for a proper haircut next time she saw me. It was sweet of her, but the 'did it myself' look was growing on me, and I kind of wanted to keep it.

The goodbyes were drawn out because of James and Sirius goofily proclaiming at great length their undying love for one another, but eventually we did manage to get out the door.

Sirius led the way towards a small tool shed, then went inside with Judy. I heard her squeal loudly, and Sirius exited with her still on his shoulders as he pushed out a red motorcycle.

"Ivy! Look! Pretty!" Judy shouted, almost making herself fall because she let go of Sirius' head to point and gesture wildly with both her hands. I smiled nervously, clutching Noah, who was already asleep, closer to my chest, "Ya, I see. Um, are you sure that's safe?"

Sirius laughed, almost bark-like as he straddled the machine, plucked Judy down from his shoulders, and sat her in front of himself, "Of course. Don't worry. I can hold the two little ones in front of me, and you'll just sit behind. I won't let anything happen to you." He grinned as he expectantly held his arms out for me to give him Noah. I was still reluctant, and I guess he could tell because he said, "Really, I promise. It's perfectly safe."

I wasn't completely convinced, but what was I supposed to do? I very carefully handed my dozing brother over to Sirius, and he settled him in front of himself, right beside Judy. She wasted no time in violently prodding Noah until he woke up, at which time he immediately burst into tears and buried his head into Sirius' stomach. He always got like that when he was tired.

"Judith Harper Sennen, you leave him alone!" I scolded, about to rush forward to comfort Noah. However, before I could, Sirius had an arm around him and was bent over, talking softly into his ear. Miraculously, Noah was calm again in just a few minutes, still clinging to Sirius as he sniffed tiredly. Judy rolled her eyes, "Can we go yet?"

Sirius sat up and grinned at me, grabbing hold of the handlebars, "Whenever you're ready, kiddo." I took a deep breath, adjusted the duffle on my back, and jumped behind Sirius onto the motorcycle, fitting my body against his and wrapping both arms around his waist.

I heard him laugh, and yell, "Hang on!" As if I needed to be told. Anyways, just a second later, he started up the bike with a sharp twist of his wrist and a vicious jerk of his foot. The whole thing suddenly roared to life, growling and vibrating between my legs. I could barely hear Sirius and Judy laughing like maniacs as he pivoted on his foot, turning the machine sharply and making rocks and gravel fly out behind it before he started on down the path. I held on tight enough to nearly break a few of his ribs.

I was just starting to relax when we got to the end of the drive leading up to the Potter's house. It wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be. Actually, it was kind of cool. However, just when the dirt path met the dirt road, Sirius shouted over the wind, "Don't let go," and the bike suddenly tilted upwards, nearly throwing me backwards as it took off into the air.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Well, there's another chapter. Hope you guys are all enjoyingit so far. Reviews are always appreciated >nudgenudge> hehe, until next time, sports fans.


	6. Part 6: For There Never Was a Story

Part 6 - For There Never Was a Story of More Woe...

The motorcycle steadily gained altitude, with Judy howling, laughing, whooping, and hollering excitedly as Sirius urged the machine higher, and higher. I was terrified. It's not that I was afraid of heights, but suddenly finding yourself miles from the ground, seated a top something that's _not supposed to fly_ is rather unsettling.

I held onto Sirius for dear life, even though I was aware of him chuckling at my actions almost the whole ride. For most of it, I had my eyes shut, and my face hidden against his back, the smell of that leather jacket he always wore overwhelming my senses.

A very long time later (at least that's what it felt like), I was jostled a little bit. It was actually from the bike finally setting down, but I thought it was, like, exploding, and I started screaming, desperately squeezing Sirius.

By the time he finally stopped the bike, he and Judy were laughing hysterically at me. Jerks. "Calm down, kiddo," He chuckled, "We're here. I told you it was safe." I opened my eyes and stopped screaming, feeling incredibly stupid when I saw that we were on the ground, parked in front of small cottage.

He shut the bike off, still laughing as he said, "You're gonna have to let go now, love." I shook myself out of the fear induced stupor I was in and finally released him, muttering, "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," He chuckled, jumping off the bike with a twin under each arm, Noah sleeping soundly, and Judy giggling and pleading for another ride. Shakily, I followed as he led the way into the cottage.

"This place used to be my Uncle Alphard's," He explained brightly as he unlocked and opened the front door, "He left it to me when he died."

"Oh," I said, looking around the room once he switched on the light. Despite seeming small from the outside, once I was inside I saw the place was _huge_. The room we came into when we first stepped in was I guess what you'd call a foyer, with high ceilings, stark white walls, and light hardwood floors. Archways led into darkened rooms to the left and the right, a wide staircase right in front of us led up to a second floor landing. Behind the staircase, I could see one more large, darkened room beyond another archway.

"Well," Sirius said, walking towards the staircase, "I guess we should put these two to bed, and then I'll show you around." Noah was already sleeping, and had been for the entire ride, but Judy was awake, and started squirming, "I don't wanna go to bed! I'm not tired!"

"Judy, it's your bedtime," I stated sternly, "Don't argue." She glared at me, then, because she was a brat, tried to get Sirius on her side, pouting sweetly, "Siri, do I have to go to bed? I want to stay up and play with you!" Not even a year old, and already the little bitch was trying to flirt to get her way. Despicable. Don't get me wrong, I love her with all my heart, but she's still a bitch.

"Sorry, little one," Sirius laughed, "If Ivy says it's bedtime, then it's bedtime, but we can play tomorrow. I promise." I gave Judy a _haha, I win_ look, and she glared, returning a _this isn't over, bitch_ one. Ya, she thinks I'm a bitch, too. It's just another part of our complex sisterly bond.

The upstairs of Sirius' house was just as big as the downstairs. The landing was actually a loft type room. It had a few squishy, worn green couches centered around a small table, a some mostly empty bookcases, and a desk pushed up against the back wall, which was what I realized was one big plate glass door that led out onto a balcony. Various, mismatched pieces of artwork were hung on the walls. Some of them were older, classier in style, like something an adult would display, and some were posters of cars, and motorcycles, and chicks in swimsuits, like what a teenage boy would. Either way though, it was... cozy.

"Um, my room's over there," He told me, nodding to a door on the left side as he led me down a hallway on the right, "I've got more rooms than I know what to do with, so you just tell me which ones you like, and they're yours." I wasn't entirely sure if he was talking to me, or Judy, but she assumed it was her, and squealed, "Cool!"

Sirius laughed, opening each door as he passed it during our progression down the hall, "Um, let's see... I got rid of the furniture in there, it was infested with doxies, so that one's probably not good... I'm pretty sure there's a boggart, or... something in there... Ya, this one smells funny... Oh, what about here?"

He threw open a door about halfway down, on the left side, and gestured for me to step in as he flicked a light switch. Like everything else so far, it was huge. The whole room was painted pale yellow, and it had light wood furniture, two beds with blue linens, two night stands, a dresser, and a desk with a chair. The wood floor had a blue rug spread out in the middle of it, and the back wall had two large windows with blue curtains on them.

"Do you like it?" Sirius addressed Judy with a grin. She beamed, "Ya! It's awesome!" He chuckled, setting her down on the ground so she could do a running lap around the room, then start jumping on the bed she had obviously claimed for herself.

"Judy! Don't do that!" I yelped, about to run forward and grab her. Sirius stopped me however, laughing, "Aw, it's ok. Let her have her fun. With any luck, she'll tire herself out." Reluctantly, I followed his advice.

Sirius put Noah down into the vacant bed, tucking him in fully clothed, and then he told Judy, "Stay here, ok? I'm just going to get your sister settled, and we'll come back, and tuck you in." Judy was past caring about what anyone else was doing, as she was far too engrossed in exploring her new room, so all we got out of her was, "Ya, uh huh."

"And leave Noah alone," I warned as Sirius ushered me out, laughing.

He check a few more rooms, all of which he deemed unsuitable for habitation, before we came across a gigantic space, filled to bursting with books. "It's a library!" I gasped, my mouth hanging wide open as I walked through, running my fingers lightly along the dusty spines of just a few of the thousands of volumes crammed in there. I think just that one room was bigger than Uncle J and Aunt Bernadette's entire house!

"You like books, huh?" Sirius chuckled, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the doorframe. I nodded slowly, still too stunned to speak. He laughed again, "Well, you're welcome to any of them."

"Really?" I asked, totally not believing that someone had just given me free reign over all that literature. I was in nerd heaven.

He smiled at me, "Really. But, come on, you can look around more later. We should find you a room before Dumbledore gets here." I nodded, and followed him out, still in a bit of a daze.

Eventually, I got the room at the very end of the hall. It was smaller than the others, but I liked it. The walls were painted dark green, the floor covered in dark, almost black wood, and the only pieces of furniture in it were a wide, dark wood canopy bed with dark green linens, and a dark wood dresser. It also had one big bay window, with a window seat and dark green curtains that looked out over a cluster of tree-covered mountains.

I set my backpack down and shoved the few clothes I had brought into the dresser before Sirius took me back to the twins' room, which was just a few doors down from mine, separated by a spacious bathroom that Sirius had said was for us to use and two of the uninhabitable rooms.

I expected Judy to be bouncing off the walls when we stepped in, but instead we found her passed out next to Noah, snuggled up at his side with her arms around him. It was adorable.

"Aw," Sirius cooed quietly, leaning over the pair, then grinning at me, "They always this cute?" I laughed, "Depends on how flexible your definition of cute is."

xxXxx

We left the twins as they were, and Sirius took me on a tour of the downstairs. The room on the left of the foyer was a small bathroom. The one on the right was a gigantic kitchen/dining room, which had black and white checkered tiles on the floor, white marble on the countertops, black wood cabinets and furniture, and pale blue walls

The room behind the stairs was a huge sunken living room that had entrances to both. It had red carpet, a black marble fireplace, a black leather couch, two black leather armchairs, a small coffee table, a black felt pool table, and red walls. It was a really nice house. It had the same kind of classical-modern decoration clash that the upstairs loft had, but pulled it off nicely.

After the tour, we ended up back in the kitchen, and Sirius ordered us a pizza with one of the few muggle appliances he owned, a telephone. I offered to cook, but, as it turned out, the only edible thing we found was a jar of mustard. I guess that's the reason Sirius practically lived at the Potters.

The delivery boy was a muggle, and Sirius had me count out the money to pay him since he apparently had a hard time with it. With that taken care of, we chilled out and ate pizza. Afterwards, he tried to teach me to play pool. He was great, I sucked ass, but it was still a lot of fun.

At exactly 10:03 PM (I was back in the vicinity of a clock, so I could start being all compulsive and weird about time again), the door bell rang. Sirius left to answer it, and when he came back, he had the old man from the Potter's house with him. I wasn't sure if it was the same guy at first because the only thing I had seen of him was his skirt (I thought) clad legs, and his white beard. However, when I heard his voice, I was sure it was him.

"Good evening, Miss Sennen. We meet at last," He said, smiling broadly. Behind his tiny half-moon glasses, his blue eyes were bright, the loose skin around them crinkling from the force of his grin, "My name is Albus Dumbledore."

"Hi," I said, with a shy smile as I set my pool cue down. I remembered what Lily had said before we left, that Dumbledore wanted to talk, and since this guy was apparently Dumbledore, some talking was about to commence. The only thing I wasn't sure of was whether or not they wanted me present for it.

"Why don't you take a seat," He went on, gesturing to the sitting area, "We have some things to discuss." I looked to Sirius, and he gave me a small smile, and a nod, so I walked over and curled up on the edge of the couch.

Sirius sat down beside me, his arm around the back of it. Dumbledore sat in the armchair closest to me, and didn't waste anytime in getting right into what he was there to 'discuss', "Please tell me what you know about your parents, Miss Sennen."

It was still a sore subject, it's never stopped being a sore subject, and I didn't want to dwell on it. I looked into my lap, and summed everything up with a few short sentence, "Daddy got hit by a drunk driver on New Years, and died. Momma got really sad, and decided she didn't want us anymore."

I realized at that moment, that I am the master of the awkward silence.

Eventually though, Dumbledore went on sadly, "Yes, and I am very sorry for your loss. No child should have to go through what you have. Perhaps I should be more specific though. What do you know about their lives before they had you?"

It was a confusing question because it made me realize that I didn't know anything at all about my parents before they'd had me. As far as I knew, I had no real family aside from them, no grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, anything. I mean, I knew I had Uncle J, but the only thing I was sure of about his relation to me, was that it was a distant one, and since neither of my parents had ever mentioned him, I wasn't even sure if they knew he existed. I had never met any friends of my parents that they hadn't made within my lifetime, and there were never any stories about their childhoods. Hard as I was trying, I couldn't remember even having seen any pictures of them when they were young. I was stumped. "Nothing," Was my very meek response.

"I thought so," Dumbledore went on. I looked up just in time to see him flick his wand and make a tea service appear on the table. He started pouring from the kettle into delicate china cups as he asked, "Tea?" I shook my head, "No, thank you. I don't like tea."

"I'll take one, sir," Sirius said with a smile, accepting the steaming beverage a moment later as he told me mockingly, "You won't get along very well in England if you don't like tea." I rolled my eyes.

When we had the beverage issue settled, we sat in silence for a few moments. Dumbledore looked like he was very deep in thought, and then finally asked me a very random question, "Have you ever read the play _Romeo and Juliet_?"

"Yes," I responded, even more confused than I was before. I wasn't going to say anymore, but the way he was looking at me suddenly gave me the impression that he wanted me to, so I went on, "Romeo and Juliet are from two families who hate each other, but they fall in love. They know that their families will never let them to be together, so they plot to run away, but everything goes wrong. In the end, they both kill themselves."

Dumbledore nodded as he set down his tea and started digging in the pockets of his robes, "Indeed. Tell me, does this girl look familiar to you?" He produced a rolled up piece of paper, and handed it to me. When I unfurled it, I realized that it was what I assumed was the wizard equivalent of a missing child poster. The girl depicted in the center of the page couldn't have been older than seventeen, and she was decked out in full on debutante gear, pink, puffy ballroom gown, diamond necklace, earrings, and tiara. She had long, curly blond hair, and blue eyes, and looked bored out of her mind, alternately yawning delicately into her pink, elbow-length gloves, and trying to touch the tip of her nose with her tongue. She looked like a much younger version of my mother, and even reminded me a bit of Judy.

On the top, it read in big, bold, red letters, 'MISSING: Rose May Nenmoi, age: 16, last seen October 31st, 1969.' After figuring in my head very quickly that the date and age would today make the girl twenty-eight, the same age as my mother, I read at the bottom, 'May be traveling in the company of her kidnapper, Noah Kasen, 18. Please contact the Nenmoi family with any information as to her whereabouts. Reward based on information leading to recovery.'

"She looks like my mother," I stated, looking up to Dumbledore once again, "It's her, isn't it?" He nodded as to the affirmative, and then began to speak once more, "I'm afraid that the story surrounding your parents is the modern day equivalent of _Romeo and Juliet._ The Kasen and Nenmoi families are both very ancient, pureblooded wizarding lines. They are one of the few that have never intermarried because, putting it bluntly, they have always loathed each other. Despite my best efforts, I have never been able to ascertain exactly why, aside from that it is based on a very old grudge involving a purebred mare, and someone spilling mead on someone else's dress at a Christmas party. Pointless, if you ask me."

Sirius cut in quietly, sounding just a bit bitter, "Most of the things purebloods do are. I remember when the Nenmoi girl disappeared. That was my first year at Hogwarts."

Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, I remember it as well. She never came back from the Halloween Hogsmeade trip. Anyways, as I was saying, the families hated each other, and always went out of their ways to torture one another. However, Rose Nenmoi and Noah Kasen were different. Despite long histories of nearly all members from both families being sorted into Slytherin, Noah was made a Hufflepuff, and Rose a Ravenclaw. They had apparently always been the black sheep, excuse the pun, Mr. Black, of their respective families, and their sortings did not help. Your father was two years older, of course, but during the time they spent together at Hogwarts, they managed to meet, and fall deeply, deeply in love."

I was confused as to the whole Hogwarts/Slytherin/Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw thing, but assumed Hogwarts was a school. The rest was anyone's guess.

The old man kept talking, "They had to keep their relationship a secret, and apparently did a wonderful job of it because no one, not their families, not even the other students suspected they were together. Noah had only been graduated for about two months when the trouble began. Your mother's father had become suspicious of her since she had arrived home from school for the summer, and, in late August, he followed her when she said she was going to meet friends in Diagon Alley.

"In actuality, she was meeting with your father. Damek Nenmoi caught them as they were leaving a hotel room together, hand in hand. All hell broke loose, and, to make a long, fairly violent story short, your mother was forbidden from ever seeing your father again, and vice versa. They tried, of course, to get past their families disapproval, but it was difficult, to say the least. Your mother went back to school shortly later, where her family arranged to have her under surveillance at all times. They were even screening both her outgoing, and incoming mail. Your father was reportedly heartbroken without her, and being constantly harassed by his relations because of it.

"When she got back to school, your mother's dorm mates reported seeing her vomiting in the bathroom in the mornings, and sneaking out through the window late at night. Later, we ascertained that those two things were because she was pregnant, and was going out to meet your father in Hogsmeade.

"When he learned that she was pregnant, with you, a child they apparently conceived the very day they were caught, Noah immediately began plans for them to run away together. They decided jointly that they'd had enough of the wizarding world, and were going to escape into the muggle one. Your father obtained false identification documents, changing their last names to _Sennen_, a combination of Ka_sen_ and _Nen_moi.

"On the Halloween trip into Hogsmeade, your mother drugged the men who were guarding her, and vanished. Neither she, nor your father, was ever heard from again. The families searched for them, of course, but most of their efforts were nothing but finger pointing at one another, and were fruitless."

Dumbledore paused, and the only thing I could think of was, _"Whoa."_ He smiled warmly, continuing, "But, of course, that is not the end of the story. When she was just seventeen, your mother delivered a beautiful baby girl, and they named her Ivy. Do you know why they did that?" Quietly, I said, "Just that ivy was special to them. They never told me why."

Again, the old man smiled before continuing wistfully, "Yes, it was special to them. From what I have gathered from talking to old friends of your mother's and father's, they named you Ivy because the trellis your mother routinely climbed down during those months she spent sneaking out at night to meet your father was covered with ivy. Apparently, it was read from her diary after she disappeared that she felt the plant was her passageway to and from her one true love."

I was getting all choked up. Why the hell hadn't they told me any of this? It would've been a fucking awesome bedtime story!

Anyways, Dumbledore kept going, "Your parents lived in America, as muggles to avoid drawing any attention at all from the wizarding world. It worked perfectly until your father's untimely death. His demise triggered a disastrous chain reaction. Your mother slipped into depression, and gave you up to your father's father's brother. You knew him as Jeremiah Cramner, but that was just the name he assumed after he was disowned by his family at a young age. He was born Jeremiah Kasen, and he was a squib."

I must've looked as confused as I felt, because Sirius suddenly jumped in to explain, "A squib means someone who was born to magic parents, but isn't magic." I nodded, then looked back to Dumbledore, urging him to continue, which he did, "Jeremiah was married to another squib. She was born Bernadette LeStrange, but became Bernadette Cramner after she wed Jeremiah and took his name."

"_LESTRANGE?_" Sirius yelped, his eyes wide and his voice squeaky. Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, Mr. Black, LeStrange, making her related to you through the marriage of your cousin, Bellatrix, to Rudolphus LeStrange. Bernadette was his father's older sister, though she had absolutely no contact with any of the family until very recently."

"Fuck," He swore absentmindedly, running his hands through his shaggy black hair. He glanced at me, and his eyes got wide again as he said guiltily, "Sorry." I smirked, "S'ok. I've heard worse."

Dumbledore smiled broadly before turning serious again, and going on, "From what you've told me, Jeremiah was a good man, though the same is not true about Bernadette. You said from the very beginning that she did not want you, she only wanted your brother and sister. The Cramners, of course, knew of what your mother and father had done when they ran away because your mother had apparently sent them a letter after she gave you up which explained everything. They both knew that the families would still be searching for your parents, and for you. Bernadette suggested to Jeremiah before they took you in that they send you away to be fought over by the Nenmoi's and Kasen's. Since all the families knew for sure was that Noah and Rose had one child, they could let your brother and sister's existence remain a secret, and keep the pair themselves. Jeremiah would not allow it. He hated the families as much as your parents had, and refused to let you be raised by such people. He kept you safe from them, just like your parents wanted. However, Jeremiah died, and Bernadette became depressed, and started drinking, and, well, I believe you know that part of the story."

Hell ya I did. I still wasn't completely healed from _that part of the story._ Sorry, bitter moment. Cheerful euphemisms for vicious child abuse just upset me.

Dumbledore kept going, "Bernadette, in a fit of drunken depression, and hatred for you, contacted her family. They, in turn, contacted Lord Voldemort. Although they hate each other, that has not stopped the Nenmoi's and Kasen's both from loyally serving him. Both appealed their side, that they wanted you. No matter what your parents did, you are still a pureblood, and they say blood is thicker than water, after all. I believe both sides had arranged marriages in mind for you. From the intelligence we have gathered, the Dark Lord has not awarded you to either family as of yet, but still sent a team of Death Eater's to recover you from Bernadette, as a good faith gesture to both. She was going to willingly hand you over, and keep your brother and sister.

"Because she was working for the Order, one of your mother's sisters, who had been disowned by the Nenmoi family for marrying a half-blood, and who had been trying for years to contact your mother, caught wind of the plan just as it was being executed. She tried to stop it and was killed."

"The blonde woman," I whispered, understanding dawning, "Lydia Lovegood. She was my aunt?" Dumbledore nodded, "Her maiden name was Nenmoi. She was married a year ago to Gordon Lovegood, and had given birth to a baby girl just two weeks previous to her death. Your cousin's name is Luna Rose." I was starting to feel like crying again. Luna was going to grow up without a mother just because an aunt I never met sacrificed her life to save me from being raised by psychos. The world is so fucking cruel.

"As of now," Dumbledore went on, interrupting my pity party, "You are in little to no danger. The Dark Lord knows you escaped, but he doesn't know to where, and the twin's existence is still unknown to either of the families. They aren't even sure of your real names because the records of your existence have been destroyed. Bernadette had not told them because she did not want your name to be in anyway connected to the twins since she had not yet obtained the proper documentation to have their names changed, which she was planning on doing after she'd gotten rid of you. The Death Eaters who killed Lydia only reported that a boy transported her body away, nothing more. They did not realize it was you, and continued on to Bernadette's home to take you away. However, when they arrived and found that you were gone, they were angry. They tortured her until Mr. Black and Mr. Potter arrived."

I whirled on Sirius. I remembered him saying something about wanting a few words with Bernadette, but I never thought he had actually gone through with it. He grinned sheepishly, "We showed up, and she invited us in, and then they ambushed us. It was a bit of a firefight, but me, and James, and your aunt holed ourselves up in the basement. She was in bad shape, and she died a few hours later. Before she did though, she gave me a journal type thing, which I suspect is what Dumbledore used to fill in the pieces of the story, though I didn't think to read it at the time. I stuffed it in my pocket, and me and Pr- uh, James tried to figure a way out of there. The house had apparition wards, and we couldn't get word to the Order, so after a day of being trapped, we just fought our way out. James was wounded, but managed to get beyond the apparition barrier, and I was right behind him. And, well, you know what happened next." Indeed. They popped into existence outside the Potters' house, and scared the living crap out of me.

"She's dead?" That's really the only part that had registered at the time. Sirius nodded somberly. A _huge_ grin spread across my face, and I didn't try to hide it. I might not have had the strength or will to kill her, but I was damn happy someone had. Sirius smirked.

"And, I do believe, Miss Sennen, that that is everything up until now," Dumbledore said quietly. He crossed his legs, and took a sip of his tea before asking, "Do you have any questions?"

"You said I have family," I stated after a few moments of thought, "How much?"

He set the cup down, and then told me, "A lot." After another moment's pause, he said, "Your mother has one remaining sister, and two brothers, twins, I believe, and her father is still living. Your father has four brothers, and both his parents are still alive. I believe you have a total of sixteen cousins from both sides. You have other family as well, but those are the only ones directly related."

That was amazing to me. All my life I'd thought I had no family at all, and suddenly I had more than I knew what to do with. However, "Are they bad people?" Dumbledore looked unwilling to answer, so I looked to Sirius. He grinned bitterly, "For the most part, ya, they are."

I nodded, "You're not going to send me to them, are you?" Sirius laughed, slinging his arm around my shoulders and hugging me to his side, "Of course not, kiddo. I grew up in a psycho pureblood family, no way am I gonna let you." I smiled sleepily up at him, resting my head against his chest, feeling safe, and loved.

"Any more questions?" Dumbledore asked with a smile. I thought hard, and came up with one, "What happens if they find out where we are?"

"We don't think that will be a problem," He said, already standing up to leave, "Your name is still unknown to them, we have oblivated everyone who knew you, and destroyed all records of you, and your brother, and sister. You are very safe."

_"Thank you, Captain Avoid-The-Question, that was _ever_ so helpful..."_ The Pessimistic Voice Inside My Head was back, and she had apparently been working on her material.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't stay any longer," the old man said as he got to his feet, flicking his wand and making the tea set disappear, "Good evening, Mr. Black, Miss Sennen." And then, he left.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

There you are. Sorry that this one was a bit boring and short, but I had to get all that history and junk explained. The next one will be more exciting. And little Billy Weasley will make another appearance, hehe. Until then, keep in mind that reviews make me flail with happiness.


	7. Part 7: Playdate?

Part 7 - Playdate?

I didn't sleep that night. Sirius sent me to bed after I helped him clean up the kitchen, but I just laid there, thinking hard about everything I'd learned. It was like I couldn't make my brain shutdown.

I was confused, and angry, and depressed, but, most of all, I think I was just scared. We were in danger, and everyone knew it. Dumbledore totally sugar-coated the issue by saying we weren't.

The truth was that if either of the two families ever found out about the twins and me, it would most likely cause the ancient feud to explode into an all out war. Not only that, but no matter which side won, assuming we weren't killed in the crossfire, the twins and I would be stuck with a group of people who wanted us purely out of spite, and our lives would be miserable.

When the sun finally rose, I gave up on sleep, and went to the library. I spent the entire morning reading about wizarding history. In only a few hours I was mostly caught up to speed about how the culture I was now a part of had come to be. I know I'm a dork, but it was really interesting.

At nine o'clock, I went and woke the twins. Sirius came in a short time later, still in his pajamas, sleepily scratching his butt, "Mornin' kids. Any requests for breakfast?" I smiled brightly, "Leftover pizza will be fine."

"Um, yeeeeeaaaah..." He drawled, smiling sheepishly as he tried to comb through his bed-head hair with his fingers, "That's gone. Sorry, late night snack." I laughed, "That's ok. It's your pizza."

With a gigantic yawn, he chuckled, "Ho'ou'oin'o'own?" Ya, I totally didn't understand that either, "Huh?"

"Sorry," He said when he was through yawning, "I said, how about going to town? I'll take you for breakfast, and then we can go to the market and stock this place with some real food." I had just finished braiding Judy's hair into pigtails, and grinned, "Sounds great."

xxXxx

A week passed, and nothing worth mentioning happened. Sirius spent the days entertaining the twins with wrestling matches, rides on his motorcycle, and stories from his wild youth. I mostly watched, but I still had a good time.

At night, after we tucked the twins in, Sirius taught me how to play pool. I might've sucked at the beginning, but by the end of that first week I was getting much better. Sirius was still kicking my ass every game, but at least I was actually getting the balls into the pockets occasionally.

Sirius would send me to bed after he thought I started looking tired, but I was still having trouble sleeping, so I usually ended up in the library a few hours later, and stayed there until nine o'clock, when I would wake the twins. I just had a lot on my mind, and it's not like the lack of sleep was noticeable... or so I thought...

It was Friday morning, just after midnight, and I was in the library, curled up on a squishy brown couch in a cozy little corner, deeply engrossed in a thick book about runes. The only light was a small reading lamp on the table beside me, so everything was in deep shadow.

I never heard the door open, or the approaching footsteps, but all of a sudden a voice was right in my ear, "Heya, kiddo!"

I jumped about a foot off the seat, the book went flying into the air, and I whirled around to find Sirius leaning against the couch, smiling warmly at me. I let out the breath I was holding, and tried to relax, but I was still shaking by the time he leaped over the back and flopped down beside me, immediately grabbing me into a one-armed hug.

"What're you doin' up?" He inquired brightly, putting me into a light headlock, and ruffling my hair. I laughed, and struggled playfully, "Nothing."

Chuckling, he still had me tucked under one arm as he bent down to pick up my book. He read the title, flipped through, and made a face, "Awful lot of words for nothing."

"I couldn't sleep, so I was just reading," I explained as he released my head. He tossed the book away, and replied, "Huh."

We sat in silence for a few minutes before he finally asked me, "That's been happening a lot, hasn't it?" I glanced up at him, "What?"

"You not being able to sleep," He clarified, hugging me a little tighter, "What's wrong?" I looked away, and shrugged. I still didn't know exactly what was wrong. Something was, I was sure of that, but it was difficult to pinpoint. I was trying to sort through a lot of stuff, and with it all buzzing around in my head constantly, I just couldn't sleep. It was... finding out the truth about my parents, and learning I possessed magic powers, and dealing with having two psychotic pureblood families after us, and knowing a woman was dead because of me, and worrying about the safety of Noah and Judy, and... _everything._

"Nothing," I stated quietly. He hugged me closer, resting his head on top of mine as he said, "Come on, kiddo. You can tell me. It might make you feel better to get it off your chest."

I didn't answer him for a long time. On the one hand, I could barely make sense of what I was feeling on my own, how was I supposed to make Sirius understand? Besides that, I've never been one for routinely spilling my guts to other people, and it felt weird. But, on the other hand, talking to Sirius before made me feel a lot better. Plus, it didn't seem like he was going to just leave it alone.

Finally, I leaned closer to him, putting my arms around his middle and hugging him tight to me as I took a deep breath, and began trying to make my thoughts into words, and make sense at the same time.

I talked for almost two hours straight, and Sirius listened patiently, never interrupting once. When I was finally through, my throat was aching, and my voice was hoarse. I was exhausted just from having talked for so long, and from the emotional strain of pouring out everything that was wrong with me. I finally fell silent around four, and fell asleep in Sirius' arms shortly after.

xxXxx

"You made me a _what?_" I stared across the pool table at Sirius that night, totally not believing I could've heard his last comment correctly. He'd been oddly quiet all day, and now he was dropping this kind of weirdness on me? There was just no way it was happening.

He grinned, sunk the five in the side pocket, and repeated, "A playdate. Muggles do have those, right? It's when you go over to another kid's house, and you play, and, I dunno, do kid stuff."

I glared, snarling, "I know what a playdate is! Why would you make me one?" He circled the table looking for his shot, mussing my hair as he passed me. He finally aimed for the corner pocket, telling me as he did so, "Because you're too grown up. All that worrying you're doing, it isn't very kid-like, and you're stressing yourself out over things you shouldn't even have to be dealing with. It's not good for you, and I think spending some time with other kids will help you relax."

"I'm fine," I hissed curtly, turning away as my cheeks burned. See, I knew it was a bad idea to tell him what I was worried about. That'll teach me to share my feelings. I gripped the cue tighter as he put the two in the corner pocket, muttering crossly, "I don't need you to set me up on playdates."

"Aw, come on. Don't be like that, kiddo," He joked as he shifted and set up another shot towards the corner at the opposite end of the table, "It's just Billy Weasley. You liked him, didn't you?"

I made a face, shrugging as I declared, "He talks too much." Sirius grinned broadly, never taking his eyes off his shot as he reasoned, "Or maybe you talk don't talk nearly enough."

xxXxx

That's how I found myself falling out of the Weasley fireplace the next morning. I immediately heard Judy's phantom screech in my head, _"You said fire would burn us! You're such a liar, Ivy!"_ However, I figured it was Sirius' problem for the day, seeing as how he'd insisted that he would be watching the twins. He said they were probably going over to visit the Potter's, and he promised me he would take good care of them. Ok, it was actually more of a tease after the first twenty minutes or so of my 'Care and Maintenance of the Sennen Twins' speech, but I couldn't help that I was nervous leaving them alone with him. Judy could never remember that she was allergic to strawberries so she'd grab them and eat them if she saw them, and she'd get a horrible rash all over her body, and Noah used to have a tendency to wander away with shady-looking strangers. And those were just the beginning!

I coughed some soot out of my lungs, and wiped some more out of my eyes as I pulled myself up off the ground, dragging my backpack with me. It was packed for an overnight trip because it wasn't just a playdate, it was a sleepover as well. I felt pathetic... ok, and a little bit nervous, too.

I liked Bill. He was the first kid I'd ever met who was nice to me, and despite almost getting me killed in the cave, being insufferably optimistic, and way too talkative, he was fun and kind of sweet. Plus, it was great that he liked reading just as much as I did. The possibility of my first real friend was nerve racking, and scary, and just a little bit exciting. My palms hadn't stopped sweating all morning.

I had barely gotten myself standing again when a hard, solid body collided with mine, tackling me to the floor as the assailant shouted happily, "IVY!" My back hit the ground pretty hard, and I had the wind knocked out of me. The fact that Bill was sitting almost directly on my lungs didn't help much with my attempted oxygen intake either.

He beamed down at me, deep green eyes shining, freckles severe as ever, tomato-red hair hanging around his face, and dimples in full force on both his round cheeks. "You came!" He shouted, not seeming like he was planning on getting off me any time soon, "Mum told me you were, but I didn't know for sure if you would because I hadn't seen you in a long time. I was asking where you were, but everyone just said that you'd gone home, and I couldn't see you until later. Mum said probably not until the next Order meeting, but then she got an owl in the morning yesterday, and then she asked if I'd like to play with you tomorrow, which is today now, and I said ya! What do you want to do first, read, or go to the pond, or play quidditch, or explore in the forest?"

"Ummmmm..." I was still short of breath, and starting to think that this _playdate_ wasn't such a good idea after all. I'd almost forgotten just how fast Bill could talk...

"WILLIAM ARTHUR WEASLEY!" A bossy voice interrupted, "YOU GET OFF HER RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"

It was scary just how quickly the boy obeyed. I blinked, and then his weight was gone from my chest. I took one more shot at pulling myself up off the floor, and when I was finally standing, started snickering at what I saw. Bill's extremely pregnant mother had him by the ear, and was scolding him crossly, gesturing wildly with a wooden spoon as the unfortunate lad made awful, pained noises and faces, squirming in her grasp.

"Now you apologize to your guest for being so rude!" Was the last bit I caught before Bill turned to me, his eyes watering as he pitifully squeaked, "Sorry!" She finally let him go, and gave him one last glare before turning to me. She did a complete and total emotional one-eighty, going from infuriated, to perky and kind in a mere instant, "Hello, dear. I'm so sorry about Bill, he just gets a little overexcited at times, and forgets his manners. Are you alright?"

"Fine. Thank you, ma'am," I responded, mumbling slightly as I uncomfortably shuffled my feet. She just smiled even wider, "Good, good. Are you hungry at all? I'd be happy to whip you up something for breakfast before Bill drags you off to keep to himself all day. Merlin knows he hasn't been able to talk about anything other than his new friend for the past week!"

The chuckle she gave was slightly unnerving, as was the pink that rose to Bill's cheeks, but I shrugged it off, answering quietly, "No, thank you. I had breakfast already." She tutted lightly as she began bustling about the kitchen, commenting, "If you say so, dear. You're such a skinny little thing, though. Definitely could stand to get some meat on those bones. How about a piece of cake then?"

I opened my mouth to politely decline, however she used to opportunity to shove in a large slab of chocolately goodness, nearly making me choke on the rich, gooey, velvety confection. I forgave her almost instantly though because it was one of the best things I'd ever tasted in my life.

"Thank you," I mumbled, so caught up in the heavenly taste sensations that I momentarily forgot not to talk with my mouth full. I swallowed down a gigantic bite, but still had more in my hands, and I was sure there was frosting all over my face, but really didn't care. It was very unlike me to not care.

Bill started bouncing up and down, begging excitedly, "Mum! Can I have some, too?" She gave him a very pointed look, "Did you make your bed?" He nodded. "And put your toys away?" He nodded, getting even antsier. "And wash your face?" He nodded once again, his eyes looking like they were going to bulge out of his head if he didn't get some cake soon. His mother finally took pity on him, smiling softly as she plopped a slice into his waiting hands, conceding, "Alright. You're a good boy, Bill."

He actually _squealed_ as he dug in, and by the time we were finished I'm sure we looked like we'd both recently fallen face down into the mud. However, it was great cake, so it was totally worth it.

Not wasting any time, Billy grabbed my chocolate covered hand in his, our sticky palms making an odd squishing noise when they met, and he pulled me hurriedly towards the door, shouting, "Bye, Mum!"

"You make sure to be home for lunch!" I heard her scream as the door slammed behind us. Bill didn't stop for even a second. He seemed to be having way too much fun with just dragging me across his backyard. I caught sight of his brothers out there was we ran. The twins were chasing each other in circles through a puddle, getting themselves very dirty, and seeming like they were having a great time doing it. Percy was in the grass, playing with a set of blocks and eyeing the pair suspiciously. Charlie was in a tree, near the very top branches. I was amazed that anyone could have, let alone _would_ have climbed that high.

"Charlie! You be careful!" Bill warned, slowing down as we passed. Charlie looked down at us through the branches, his face falling slightly when he saw me with his brother. He asked quietly, "Billy, where are you going?"

Bill giggled, and responded brightly, "I'm taking Ivy to the pond! We're on a playdate!" Charlie pouted, looking awfully cute with his missing tooth, insane amount of freckles, and crystal blue eyes, "Can I come?"

"No," Bill said, shaking his head as he snaked his tongue out to try and lick the chocolate frosting off his cheeks, "You have to stay and watch Percy, and the twins, and make sure Ronnie isn't afraid if he wakes up from his nap and I'm not back yet."

Hell, even I wanted to climb up there and give Charlie a hug when I saw the hurt and disappointment that crossed his face. He sniffed, "Fine," then retreated back towards the trunk of the tree, hiding himself within the leaves. Bill didn't seem to notice that he'd just crushed the poor boy because he was far too hyped about whatever he had planned for me. He broke out into a run again, and pulled me with him.

It wasn't very long before we stopped by the edge of a calm little pond. The water was a bit murky, and had a greenish tinge to it, but most ponds are like that anyways so I didn't think it was a big deal. We washed the chocolate off our hands and faces in it. The tranquil pool was surrounded on all sides by trees. The one closest to the path we'd follow to get there was on a high bank to the right, the base of it being about five feet above the top of my head, and it had a long rope hanging from a high up branch, ending just above the surface of the water. On the opposite side of the bank, probably about 25 yards away, large, flat rocks littered the edge of the pond, rushes growing between them.

Bill grinned at me, shucking off his shirt, revealing that the freckles on his face were just as plentiful elsewhere on his body, as he asked, "You have a swimsuit, right?" Fortunately, I did. Sirius had stuffed one into my bag that morning before he pushed me into the floo, saying that I would probably need it. I didn't get a good look at the thing, so I was hoping that it fit alright, and wasn't horribly ugly.

I nodded and Bill smiled, stepping out of his faded khaki shorts, which left him in neon orange swimming trunks, as he said, "Ok, well you can put it on behind any tree you want. I won't look. I promise."

I think I almost keeled over. I hadn't even thought of that, and was suddenly way freaked about having to be naked anywhere in the vicinity of Bill and his dirty little mind. However, I didn't have very much of a choice if I wanted to go swimming, so I nodded, and hid myself behind a tree.

I just stood there for awhile, occasionally glancing around it to make sure Bill was nowhere where he could see me. After a long stretch of paranoia, I finally got the suit out of my bag. It was pink, with purple flowers on it, and just about the girliest thing I could remember having owned in a very long time. I didn't necessarily hate it, but I definitely wouldn't have picked it for myself. The good thing was that it came up high enough on my back to cover most of my still-ugly, but fading scars. Sometimes, Sirius was so thoughtful it was scary. I wasn't worried about the scars on my arms. They were fading and not nearly as bad as the ones on my back.

As quickly as I could, I stripped, and put the suit on, only to find out that it was a bit on the small side, not uncomfortable, necessarily, just tight. I might as well have been naked for all the good it did me. I was definitely feeling self-conscious when I finally worked up the courage to step out from behind the tree.

Bill was waiting on the path still, skipping rocks across the surface of the water. "Whoa. How do you do that?" I asked in amazement as I walked up beside him. He stopped his arm halfway through the backswing, and grinned at me.

"Here," He said, grabbing my hand, and dropping the rock in, "It's easy." He tried to move so he was behind me, but I was afraid of him seeing my scars, despite the fact that they were hidden, so I shied away. He looked kind of hurt, mumbling an apology before explaining about how keeping the rock flat was the key.

I gave it a try, but my rock just plopped into the water. Bill laughed at me, scooping up another one, and tossing it to me as he instructed, "Try again, and make your arm swing sideways instead of up. It has to hit the water level."

It took me thirteen tries to get the hang of skipping rocks, and even then I only got it to bounce twice before sinking, but I was ecstatic nonetheless that I'd accomplished something so freaking cool. And don't go saying that it's not that great, because it so is.

Bill beamed with pride, "You did it! Great job!" I grinned back, "Ya, thanks for teaching me." He chirped a polite, "You're welcome," and then we kinda fell into a bit of an uncomfortable silence.

Bill jammed his hands into his pockets, and shuffled his feet, while I was staring down at my bare toes, my hands hanging awkwardly at my sides. It so sucks that girls' bathing suits don't have pockets, and boy's ones do.

After awhile, Bill blurted hurriedly, "I like your bathing suit." He started blushing, which made me start blushing, and I answered, "Thanks. Sirius picked it out. I like yours, too. It's... bright..."

Suddenly, he was back to his old chatty self, "Thanks! It's a Chudley Cannons suit! They're my favorite quidditch team! What's yours?"

"Um..." I'd had quidditch explained to me several times over the last week, but still wasn't too sure about how it worked, "I don't know. I guess I don't have one."

Bill's patented funny look made it's appearance as he considered my answer. He cocked his head to the left, scrunched up the right side of his face, pursed his lips, and furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. It made him look odd. However, just as soon as the look came, it was gone, and he grinned brightly, "Oh, well, you can have the Cannons be your favorite, too! Then we have the same favorite!"

I smiled weakly, "Ok." He looked immensely happy, continuing, "Wicked! So, you wanna try the rope swing? It's loads of fun!" I nodded, and he immediately grabbed me by the wrist and started pulling me towards the tree up on the steep bank to the right of the path.

The climb was a bit tricky, it was steep, and the dirt was loose, and the fact that I was bare foot didn't help at all, but, eventually, we got to the top. Bill leaned out over the ledge, grabbed the rope, and presented it to me as he announced gallantly, "Here, you can go first."

I shook my head, nervously crossing my arms over my chest, "Nah. You can go ahead. I don't really know how." The funny look made another appearance, and he said, "What do you mean? It's a swing! There's not really any _wrong_ way to do it. You just... _swing_. It's fun." He held the rope out to me once more, smiling expectantly.

It was one of those moments when you're totally not sure whether or not you should do something. You weigh the options in your head, going over the good, and bad sides of both, but, in the end, all you can come up with is, _"What the hell."_ That's what happened to me. I mean, what was the worst that could happen? I'd already survived one near death experience at Bill's hands, what were the chances something like it would happen again?

I took the rope, took a step back, and then held on tight and let my feet leave the ground. And you know what, it _was_ fun. I swung out over the surface of the pond, and it felt like flying, but in a good way, not the way I felt when I was flying on the back of Sirius' motorcycle, like I was going to crash and die, but like I was free.

I let go high in the arc of the swing, and got launched a bit up into the air. As I fell, I screamed like a little girl, but since I was one at the time, I'm automatically excused. And then, SPLASH! I hit the surface, and went under. The water was cold, but not freezing. I'd actually say quite refreshing.

I came back up, smiling like an idiot as I treaded. The first thing I heard as I pushed my short, uneven bangs out of my face was Bill's amused laughter.

I looked up to where he was standing on the edge of the ledge I had just jumped from. He had the rope swing in hand once again, his feet set wide apart, and fists at his hips. The stance, on top of the sun coming from behind him to give his whole body a bright gold glow, almost made him look like some kind of mythological hero. It suited him.

"I told you it was fun!" He taunted brightly just before he took a few huge steps back, made a running start, and, with an excited yell, swung off the bank. That kid must've had no fear whatsoever. He launched himself _so_ high, definitely higher than I did, and the let go at the end of the arc, sending himself even _higher_ and gathering enough momentum to be able to execute a cannonball flip.

I was like, _"Whoa."_ And I'm pretty certain my mouth was hanging open, because I ended up swallowing some pond water when the splash from his landing hit me in the face.

For a few seconds, I sputtered, and spit out who knows what, but when I finally was through with worrying about the bacteria content in the water, I looked back up to find Bill, and tell him how freaking cool that flip was.

He was face down in the water, his too-long red hair floating out around his head like tentacles. He was completely limp. I panicked a bit, and hurriedly swam over to him, shrieking, "Bill! Are you ok?"

When I got close enough, I simultaneously started shaking him, and trying to turn him so he was face up. I did get him onto his back after only a few seconds, but I was sorry that I did, because it revealed that his eyes were closed, and he didn't look to be breathing at all. "BILL!" I screamed, swimming him back to land and struggling to keep my head above the water, "WAKE UP!"

A lot of frenzied effort later, I dragged him up into the shallows, pulling him halfway out of the water and onto the dirt path where I knelt beside him. I shook him by the shoulders and smacked him in the face, and yelled at him, and I was freaking out, my throat getting impossibly tight as I once again tried to hold off from crying. It _so_ wasn't happening. Someone was not going to die right in front of me _again!_ Did I, like, attract untimely demises to those around me?

And then I saw him smirk, and I froze. For a few tense seconds, it didn't register what was going on, but when it did hit me, I was _PISSED!_

"BILL! YOU FAKER!" I shrieked, forgetting momentarily that I had a policy about never hitting first, and punching him hard in the chest. He moved then, doubling over with laughter as he rolled around, half in the dirt, half in the water, which was making him just one big mud boy. He was flushed red behind his freckles, and gasped, "HAHA! YOU SHOULD'VE SEEN YOUR FACE!"

I was stunned. Why was pretending to die _funny?_ Why was my horrified expression _funny?_ I couldn't do anything but stare at him while he got the hysterical laughter out of his system.

And then he finally realized that something was wrong, turning serious as he caught sight of my blank stare, and asking, "What?" I still stared, "That wasn't funny."

"Oh, come on," He chuckled, trying to convince me, "It was a classic joke." My throat was getting tight again, and my chest hurt, and I _was not_ going to cry. My daddy died, my Uncle J died, my Aunt Bernadette died, I _watched_ my Aunt Lydia die, and death was _not_ a joke to me. I didn't understand how it could be to _anyone_.

And I swear I _was not_ crying. I had something in my eye...

"It wasn't funny!" I screamed, totally freaking out by that point. Bill made some attempt at calming me down, stretching out his arm towards me, but it just made me recoil even further.

In a blink I was running back the way we'd come, juggling my clothes and backpack, cutting my bare feet on random rocks strewn about the ground. I ran all the way back to the Burrow, and burst in through the kitchen door. I was soaking wet, and dirty, and scared, and I just wanted to get away from there.

"Merlin!" Someone shouted, "Dear, what's the matter?" I turned, and saw that a pasty-skinned man with bright, bright red hair was jumping up from his place at the kitchen table, and running towards me.

"N-Nothing," I gasped, shivering in my wet suit. I was panicking, and I was winded from the run, so breathing was an issue, "I-I want to go h-home."

He looked at me strangely, then suddenly seemed to come to some realization as he inquired, "Are you Ivy? Bill's little friend?"

I was about as far from being friends with Bill as possible at that point, "Y-Yes, sir, I'm Ivy. Can I please go h-home?"

Again, he looked at me strangely, "Why? What's the matter, dear?" I shook my head, hugging myself, and trying to cover up, "Nothing. I just wanna g-go. Please."

He seemed conflicted, "Um... Why don't we just wait for Molly. She's feeding Ronnie, and I'm sure she'll be able to sort you out when she-"

"NO!" I shrieked, still totally _not_ crying, "I want to go _now_." I know it may come across to you like I was being a bit bratty, but at the time it came out more like I was begging. By that time, I really was. I just wanted to get out of there.

The man gave me a sad look, conceding, "Alright, if that's what you want. Come on, I'll help you with the floo." I breathed a sigh of relief as I followed him from the room, "Thank you."

xxXxx

A short time later, I fell out of the fireplace, and back into Sirius' living room. My clothes flew all over the place. I was still in my bathing suit, and since I'd still been soaked when I got into the floo, I was now covered head-to-toe in a grayish paste from the ash and water getting mixed together. I was shaking violently, and I didn't know what to do. Keep in mind that I still _definitely_ wasn't crying.

I pulled myself into the shower, not bothering to take off my bathing suit, blasted the hot water, and just stayed there, hugging myself and not crying as the grime streamed off me.

At the time, it seemed like just a few minutes, but I later found out that several hours had passed before I suddenly heard a knock on the door. The water had gone cold, and I was shivering, but hadn't noticed until that moment, and had no intention of doing anything about it anyways. "Ivy?" It was Sirius, I recognized his voice, "Ivy, love, you alright?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't. I tried, but my lips were trembling, and no sound came out when I managed to get them to open.

"Ivy! Open the door!" James was apparently with him, and one of them started pounding on the door. "Ivy," It was Remus that time, "If you can hear us, please answer, or else we're going to come in." I really did try to say something, but I still couldn't. It was probably from the cold. I was starting to get a very severe headache, my vision was swimming, and my body was not obeying.

A few seconds of silence later, they busted down the door. I fainted while they were pulling me out of the tub.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

k, hope you guys liked it! This will be the last post for awhile. I'm leaving for a family vacation on Tuesday, and I'll be gone nine days. Until then sports fans.

I have a theory that getting reviews will finally make my hair behave. Please, help with my research.


	8. Part 8: I Smell a Rat

Part 8 - I Smell a Rat...

"What do I do?" It was Sirius' voice, sounding extremely panicked, that woke me. The answer was muffled. I could tell someone was talking, but not who, or what about. It was rather frustrating.

I felt like crap, and that certainly didn't help. My body was freezing, yet I was sweating; my head was pounding; I could barely breathe; I couldn't see straight,; I was extremely disoriented because I was definitely not where I remembered having been, not that I remembered where that was either.

I groaned loudly, and curled up onto my side. Immediately, I had nausea to add to my long list of infirmities.

The door opened a bit later, and I cracked my eyes open just enough to be able to see Sirius, Remus, James, and Lily padding quietly towards me. It was then that I realized I was in my bedroom, and I suddenly remembered everything about what had happened up until I fainted, the playdate with Bill, freaking out and going home after he faked dying, and being in the shower. I felt even worse.

"Hey there, kiddo," Sirius cooed softly, sinking to his knees beside my bed as he gently smoothed my choppy bangs out of my eyes and back from my sweat-slicked forehead, "How're you feeling?"

"What-," I answered, my voice sounding like a soft croak, "What happened?" He gave me a sad smile, then I felt the bed bounce on my other side.

"That little Weasley boy made you upset," I could tell it was James, but I still put all my energy into turning over to see. Indeed, he was stretched out beside me on the bed, smiling goofily, but still slightly worriedly. He mussed up the hair that Sirius had just straightened, making it fall into my eyes once again as he went on, "And I guess you got yourself a little cold from being in the shower too long. Hasn't anybody ever told you not to do that?"

I kinda blinked, and didn't answer. Lily smacked James upside the head, scolding, "Don't tease her, you git. She's sick." The poor guy rubbed the back of his head, grumbling guiltily, "Sorry."

Next it was Remus, leaning over me with a kind smile as he held out a large glass of something neon pink, and steaming. "Just drink this, and you should feel better," He said, and the next second James and Sirius were gently manhandling me into a sitting position. Remus held the glass up for me to drink, but I pulled back after I got the first mouthful. It tasted like something between rancid tuna smothered in bleu cheese, and the smell that used to over power our entire street when the sewer system got backed up at the height of summer.

I wanted to spit it out. I wanted to throw up. I wanted to demand why the hell they were trying to poison me. But I couldn't do any of those things. Some of the foul liquid escaped down my throat, and I found that I couldn't do anything at all. My body went limp, my eyes rolled back into my head, and then everything went black again.

xxXxx

"Prolonged malnutrition and sleep deprivation can increase susceptibility to infection," That's what I woke up to the second time, and it wasn't a voice I recognized. I groaned, trying to fight when I realized that someone was touching me, taking my pulse from a vein in my neck.

"Weak pulse," The voice, it was a woman, went on, "She's most likely dehydrated on top of everything else. When was the last time she ate?"

"Uh..." It was Sirius who answered, "Last time I saw, was... breakfast, three days ago. She's been really out of it since Moon- er, Remus gave her that healing potion, fat lot of good it did anyways, and she's just been kinda moaning, and thrashing around in her sleep. Lily said that if her fever stayed up for more than three days, then I should call you. So, is she gonna be ok?"

I was like, _"What? Three days? What is he on? I was just talking to him a few minutes ago..."_

"Hmmm..." The woman's voice was back, "Non-responsive to magical medication? That's not very good. She seems to have gotten a nasty strain of the flu, and pneumonia on top of it, and if the potions don't do her any good she'll just have to get better the muggle way. I'll refer you to a muggle doctor I'm acquainted with, and he'll be able to tell you more."

"What? No!" Sirius yelped, "You're supposed to fix her!" He sounded like a child trying to comprehend that there is no Santa Claus. The woman answered, "I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do if she doesn't respond to magical medicine. If you don't mind, I'll use your floo to make a call to the muggle doctor, and he may be able to come over and see her right now."

"Ya, ya," Sirius answered, sounding significantly brighter, "Please, do that!" There were some footsteps, and then silence. I felt the bed sag, and then Sirius' hand was on my forehead, smoothing back my hair again. I whimpered slightly, because his hand felt _so_ hot. It made me realize that I was freezing.

"Hey, kiddo," He said softly, "You awake?" I groaned, and, after a rather long, strenuous struggle, managed to crack my eyes open. No lights were on, yet I still had to squint because the room seemed so bright. It was kind of spinning a little bit, too...

"Hi, doll," Sirius cooed, and I could just barely see that he had a very big, very tired, very relieved grin on his face, "How do you feel?" I really just wanted to go back to sleep, but he looked excited about having my answer, so I figured I could tell him something. "Ok," I rasped.

"Liar," He teased, combing through my hair with his fingers, "You're still sick, huh?" I closed my eyes, and nodded, a new wave of nausea and dizziness washing over me as I struggled to draw air into my lungs. His touch was just so soothing though. I was still in pain, but it didn't seem to matter when he was petting my hair like that. Consciousness became even more of a struggle.

"Don't worry," I heard him say softly, "You're gonna be alright." I totally believed him, because I never thought not to. Sirius had never lied to me before, and I really trusted him because of that.

We sat in silence for awhile longer, though, again, I'm not sure if it was minutes, or hours. I was kind of in a half asleep state where I could tell what was going on around me, tell that Sirius had stayed with me the entire time, but I couldn't do anything and didn't have the strength or focus to move.

Eventually, the door opened, and a very short, very old, blue-haired woman wearing a white apron stepped in. She smiled warmly at me, and was followed a few seconds later by a short, gray-haired old man in a white lab coat. He smiled, too.

I figured out that they were both doctors. The woman, who introduced herself as Madame Mary, was a magical doctor, a healer, and then man was just a regular muggle doctor.

Dr. Vargus, was how he introduced himself before he started poking and prodding me, but that was the one time I ever saw him, so he's not that important. In the end, his diagnosis agreed with Madame Mary's, and he handed Sirius some pills, instructing him to give me two, five times a day until they were all gone, and, also, "Make sure she drinks lots of clear liquids, and doesn't do anything strenuous. That means you stay in that bed, young lady." I had no problems whatsoever with that, because the only thing I had any desire for at the time, aside from some relief from the pain, dizziness, and nausea, was sleep.

Both the old people left after some time, and Sirius summoned me a glass of ice water and some dry toast. I drank the water, but not much, and just looking at the toast made me sick to my stomach, so I didn't want to have anything to do with it. "Please, kiddo," He pleaded, waving a triangle under my nose, "For me?" I sighed, and managed to force down one bite, for him.

After that, though, my stomach felt so bad that I had to lay down again. I rolled over onto my side, curling in on myself to relieve the pain. The last thing I remember from that was Sirius laying down beside me, hugging me close to him, and softly singing some disjointed little tune that I still find myself randomly humming to this day.

xxXxx

Long story short, I got sicker. After that initial three days of complete unconsciousness, a week passed where I was alternately throwing up, nearly going into respiratory arrest, and overheating to the point where I started having hallucinations (and I had some pretty damn weird ones, too).

But, that week was the worst of it. Sirius devotedly made sure I was well taken care of at all times, he even sent Noah and Judy to the Potters' so he could concentrate on me. It was also so they wouldn't catch anything, seeing as how Judy had a tendency to gravitate towards people, places, and things that she was told were off-limits, and Noah was just constantly trying to get in to see me because he was so upset about me being sick.

Sirius made sure I was well hydrated, medicated, and fed, and he also kept me entertained during my brief periods of lucidity. I will never forget the puppet show he put on at the end of my bed. He saw that I was awake, and just randomly ripped off his stinky, sweaty, holey socks, put them on his hands, and made them start talking to each other. The even funnier part is that they were talking about me. It went something like...

Right Hand: Hey, Leftie!

Left Hand: Ya, Rightie?

RH: Ivy's sick!

LH: I know! It's that little Weasley wanker's fault! I reckon we should beat up him, ya?

RH: Nah, not until after she's better, that way she can watch, and maybe we'll finally find out what he did to her. But I think right now, we need to make her some more toast (the sock puppet turns to me) Ivy, love, would you like us to make you some more toast?

It was at that point that I started laughing so hard I could barely breathe, and Sirius had to halt the show in order to help me. It was worth it though. I still can't look at argyle socks without cracking up...

Anyways, after seven days, I began to get better. I was still weak and confined to my bed, but I started to be able to hold food down, my fever mostly subsided, and my breathing got much easier. Another week passed before I started going completely stir-crazy. Sirius tried to help, really, he brought me books, and played games with me, and told me stories about him and the Marauders, but that only went so far. I wanted out of the room.

"No," Was his flat reply ever single time I asked, "You're still not completely well, and I'll not having you give me another scare like that again."

"But," I argued on more than on occasion, "Can't I just walk around some? I really do feel better, and I'm bored. I miss the twins, and I want to go outside. Please?" Every time, he only responded, "We'll see how you feel tomorrow, deal?" And I really didn't have anything to do aside from grumble, "Deal." Then, he'd usually force his latest very sad attempt at chicken soup down my throat. It was amazingly bad. Statistically speaking, with the number of tries he made he should have at least _accidentally_ come up with something remotely edible, but, of course, I'm not that lucky.

That next Friday, Sirius got a letter in the afternoon. He was with me, and had been the entire day. He was teaching me exploding snap, and, surprisingly, I was winning. The poor man had singed off nearly half of his goatee, and his face was completely caked in ash. I could tell he was getting a tad frustrating that he was having his ass kicked by a little girl, but he remained upbeat, cracking jokes entirely for my benefit.

The owl tapping on the window broke us out of our game just in time for the cards to explode once more in Sirius' face. He swore softly, then let the bird in, and shut the window behind it. I sighed. He'd been stubbornly insisting on keeping it shut so I wouldn't get chilled from any drafts coming through. Not that it was a big deal, but some fresh air every once in awhile would've been nice.

I was distracted with my thoughts about the window, and didn't even notice that he'd started reading the letter until he swore once again, loudly this time. "What is it?" I inquired innocently. He blushed when he realized that he'd sworn in front of me (he swore in front of me a lot, but never stopped trying not to, which I think was very sweet), and grumbled, "Nothing. I just have to go send a letter. Will you be ok for a few minutes, love?"

"Ya," I responded, trying not to sound too annoyed at the question, "I'll be fine." He grinned, and stormed out.

xxXxx

He was gone for a long time, and I fell asleep again. I was woken up by the sounds of a muffled, but definitely heated argument coming from downstairs. Since Sirius was nowhere to be found, I jumped at the opportunity to get out of my bed, and went to investigate.

From the top of the stairs, I could see that Sirius was yelling at Dumbledore, and another man, who I'd seen on several occasions but had never been introduced to. He was very tall, and extremely handsome, with chiseled features, rich brown hair, and lots of clearly defined muscles.

"I'M NOT DOING IT, ALASTOR! GET SOMEONE ELSE!" Sirius screamed, pacing between the pool table at the couch. His usually perfectly groomed hair was disheveled, and sticking up in weird directions, like he'd been continually running his fingers through it. He went on, "I can't go now! I have to watch Ivy! She's still sick, and I'm not gonna just leave her!"

"Quit being daft!" The handsome man ordered, "I've heard from Mary that the girl's doing fine. It's only you that's been keeping her in bed, and she's not going to die if you're gone for one day!"

"But-" Sirius kept trying to argue, but Dumbledore raised his hand, immediately making him stop. The old man smiled kindly, "Mr. Black, you are the _only_ person for this mission. If you are serious about helping the girl, you will do her much more good investigating the information than you will playing the warden. However, if you are that deeply concerned about her well-being, I am sure we can arrange for a temporary replacement." Sirius looked confused, asking, "Who?"

And, of course, because I have the _best_ luck in the whole world, I managed to trip and fall down the stairs at that exact moment. It was partly because my legs were kind of weak from the long period of being confined to my bed, but it was probably mostly just because I'm a klutz.

I wasn't hurt, just really disoriented. My head felt like someone had taken it off, shaken it violently, then put it back, and I was dizzy as hell. Sirius was at my side when I could finally see straight again, and he looked a little mad, but mostly just worried and scared. "Are you alright, kiddo?" He asked frantically, checking me over for injuries, "Did you hit your head?"

I honestly couldn't remember, and I probably had, but I shook it anyways. Immediately, the dizziness returned, tenfold, but I still went on, "No. I'm ok."

He seemed very skeptical, but didn't say anything as he scooped me up from the ground, and carried me back to bed.

xxXxx

James, Lily, and Remus all visited me briefly later that day. They said they were stopping by before going to an Order meeting. Sirius had been unusually quiet when he wasn't yelling at the owls that periodically brought him letters. Just as Remus was leaving, though, he got one that he didn't yell at. He didn't look very happy about it, but the reaction was definitely much better than any of the previous ones.

"What is it?" Remus asked, trying to read over his friends shoulder. Sirius gave him an unreadable look, "Wormtail. He said he'd do it." Remus smiled softly, "That's good, right?" Sirius shrugged, "I guess..."

xxXxx

"Ivy, love," I was woken up later by someone gently shaking my shoulders, "Wake up. Just for a minute."

I groaned. I wasn't sure how late it actually was, but I was exhausted. However, I struggled and sat up anyways, fiercely rubbing my eyes as I peered into the dim room.

Sirius was on my left, between the bed and the door, and another man was behind him. I couldn't see him very well because he was standing in a shadow. He was shorter and fatter than Sirius though.

"Hey, kid," Sirius said with a grin, sinking down beside my bed as he petted my hair, "I've gotta go somewhere for a day or two. It's something really important. While I'm gone, my friend's gonna watch you. Anything you want, you just ask him, and if you start to feel sick again, you tell him, and he'll call Madame Mary, ok?"

I nodded sleepily, and Sirius looked pleased, yet still uneasy. He turned, waving the other man forward as he said, "Alright, good. Ok, this is my friend, Peter."

Reluctantly, the man finally stepped forward into the light. Like I had originally thought, he was short, and rather plump. He had grayish-blond hair, pasty skin, and watery gray eyes. All his features were pointy, and those, coupled with his skittish demeanor, reminded me of a rodent. A rat, perhaps.

"Hullo," He greeted quietly. I remained blank. I wanted to go back to sleep. Sirius seemed to figure this out, smiling softly as he said, "Go back to bed, kiddo. I just wanted to let you know about him so you didn't get worried when you woke up and I wasn't here." I managed a small nod as I laid back down and let my eyes drift shut. Before I went back to sleep, I heard him say, "Goodbye, kiddo. I'll see you soon."

xxXxx

A few hours later, I woke to discover that I was locked in my room. It probably wouldn't bother many of you too much, but, remember, I'm severely claustrophobic. It's true that my bedroom wasn't as tiny as a closet, but being trapped automatically seemed to shrink it quite a bit.

I pounded on the door, trying to scream but unable to make my sore voice go above a hoarse whisper. I gave up after a half hour or so. If anyone was going to let me out, they would've done it already. I opened one of the windows, and that kind of helped, but it also made the room cold, so I had to huddle beneath my blankets and try not to freak out. I bitterly realized that Sirius had been right about me getting chilled if the window was left open.

At exactly midnight, I heard someone try the doorknob. "Hello?" I croaked, immediately jumping up and running forward to once again pound on the wood, "Hello? Who's there? Let me out!"

"Ivy?" I stopped the second I heard Bill's tentative voice. As much as I wanted to be saved, I still didn't want anything to do with him. I hadn't talked to or seen him since I fled his house after he faked dying, and that had been just over two weeks previous. After a few seconds of silence, he said again, "Ivy?"

"Bill? What are you doing here?" I answered quietly. More silence, and I could hear him shuffling his feet around before he answered, "I came to see you, to say sorry. I didn't mean to make you sick."

I paused, then responded, "You didn't." He really didn't. I recognized that he hadn't done one single thing to cause my illness. It had been all me. After another few seconds I heard, "Ok, but then I'm sorry for pretending to die. I guess it really wasn't that funny..."

"No," I replied, my voice barely audible, "It wasn't."

A lot more silence followed, and I was starting to shiver from being out of my nice warm bed for so long. I said, "Bill, can you open the door, please?"

He jiggled the handle a bit, then reported, "It's locked. Who locked it?" I shrugged, "I don't know. It was like that when I woke up. Go ask Peter."

He was silent again, then, "Ivy, there's no one here. I looked, because I'm not supposed to have came over. All the grown ups are at the Order meeting, at the Potters' house."

_"Stupid rat-dude..."_ I grumbled mentally before saying, "Well, can you look for a key, or something? I don't like being locked in, and I'm getting cold." I heard his loud footsteps as he ran, screaming back, "Ya! Just let me see what I can find!"

About ten minutes later, the metallic jangle of keys snapped me from my thoughts. I looked out from where I was swathed up under my blankets just in time to see the door open and Bill step through. His hair was a lot shorter than I remembered, cropped close to his skull, and he had circles under his dark green eyes. His skin seemed paler, almost sickly, making his freckles stand out a lot more. His smile looked wary, and tired as he said, "Hi."

"Leave it open!" I yelped when he went to close the door behind himself. I blushed when he gave me his funny look, and added weakly, "Please."

"Ok," He responded, moving farther into the room, "Because little places make you sick, right?" I nodded and pulled my blankets tighter, "Ya. Thank you."

He sat on the end of my bed, bouncing me slightly as he shifted around to make himself comfortable, crossing his legs in front of himself. He looked... _sad_.

"I'm sorry," He said after a few minutes. I didn't answer, and stared down into my lap. However, that didn't deter him from his apology, "I didn't know you didn't think it would be funny. I wouldn't have done it otherwise."

"Ya, ok," I responded. I realized that Bill really didn't mean anything by what he'd done, and I may have overreacted just a little, but I didn't know how to explain everything to him, how to explain _why_ I acted the way I did.

"Are we still friends?" He asked sheepishly, seemingly very concerned about my answer to the question. I smiled softly, "Ya, we are. I'm sorry, too. You didn't know." He smiled brightly, "That's ok. I know now, and I promise I won't ever do it again, just like I promise I won't make you go in anymore caves." I laughed, because it was kind of cute.

"I brought the book," He stated abruptly, pulling a large volume of literature out of his pocket, "When I'm sick, I feel better when my mummy or daddy read to me." I recognized it instantly as _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_, which we had started together the first time I'd met him. I was excited about finishing it now that he was here, but there was something else just a little more pressing, "How did you fit that in your pocket?"

The book was huge, and his pocket seemed normal sized. I thought it was rather odd. He grinned, "Enchanted pants-"

I started laughing hysterically before he could finish, and after only a few seconds began coughing violently. Bill freaked out a little bit, jumping forward to help me so quickly that he smashed his forehead hard against mine, which kind of hurt.

Eventually, though, I got calmed back down, though I was still giggling and wheezing pitifully. Bill smiled suspiciously, "You ok?" I grinned, snickering hoarsely, "Ya, fine. Keep going about the _enchanted pants._"

He did so quite happily, "My uncles did it for me, but don't tell my mum, she'd get mad, and it's supposed to be a secret. It's so I can carry lots of stuff with me when I go places! The pockets get as big as I want!" I nodded, still giggling as I stated, "Cool."

xxXxx

Bill read to me, and we finished the book in a few hours. It was _amazing_. He was jumping all around my room, screaming and severely overacting as he did all the scenes. The best was when he did Aslan, the lion-king of Narnia.

Anyways, after the book finished, he collapsed back onto my bed, laying beside me with one arm tucked behind his head. He grinned up at me, "Good story, huh?"

I smiled, "Ya, it was great!" He nodded, "And Mrs. Potter said there's more books. It's a series! We can start those next time!" I yawned hugely, "Ok! Sounds fun!" Despite my excitement, my energy was starting to run out. Just one more reason why being sick totally sucks.

He gave me one of his funny looks, "Are you tired? If you're tired, then you should go to sleep, because Mum always says that that's what sick people need a lot of to get better. That, and chicken soup, and orange juice, and kisses..." He kind of trailed off, blushing darker than I'd ever seen before. His blushing made me start blushing, and neither or us could talk for a few minutes. We just kept muttering, stuttering, and tripping over our words. Ah, youth.

"Um..." Bill finally managed, "Ya, so, you should sleep. I'll just go back to the Order meeting. I put Charlie in charge of the little kids, but he doesn't like it very much, so I should go back to help him."

"No!" I shouted, then immediately blushed once again. Bill gave me that funny look as I went on sheepishly, unable to make eye contact, "Can you just... stay... I don't want to get locked in all alone again..." It was embarrassing to have to ask, but I really was terrified of waking up and being trapped by myself in that room for a second time.

Bill grinned broadly, his deep green eyes immensely kind as he agreed, "Sure. I'll stay with you." I sighed with relief as I lay down again in my bed, "Thanks."

He shifted a bit next to me, and we ended up both on our sides, snuggled under my blankets and looking straight at each other. After a long silence, Bill smiled, "Don't worry, I won't go anywhere." I nodded, and let his assurance guide me into a peaceful sleep.

xxXxx

Later, a noise startled me awake. I looked around frantically, and, after I calmed down a bit, discovered that Bill was out cold beside me. Actually, almost on top of me, snoring softly, and at some point he had slung an arm around my waist. He whined sadly when I struggled my way out of his grasp, and I got out of the bed to investigate the noise that had woken me to begin with.

I looked out the window, and discovered nothing but darkness, and heavy fog in the trees surrounding the house. That's when I started hearing strange music. I wasn't sure what kind of instrument it was from, and it actually didn't seem to be any one in particular, but a whole bunch. It was like it was calling me to it. I was instantly entranced, and the only thing I could think of was following that sound and finding its source. For some reason, I thought that if I could just find it, everything would be... ok.

After that, the next thing I remember is voices, and my vision gradually fading out of a dark fog...

"Scrawny little thing."

"That bitch squib was starving her."

"She's so pretty!"

"And she looks just like him! That should help us, right? I mean, the Dark Lord should let us have her if she looks like him. It just makes more sense."

"Don't be stupid. That's not how he's going to decide it."

"He should let us have her because that slut Nenmoi got him killed!"

"Please, hurry. You said you just wanted to see her. This is going to blow my cover."

I blinked away the last of the fog, and I was suddenly outside. Because I was still barefoot and in my pajamas, I was freezing, but I had some bigger things to worry about.

I was surrounded by a bunch of men, four of them, to be precise, and though they all varied to some degree, they looked very much like my daddy, tall, burly brunettes with strong features. However, I was still scared. I tried to back away, but I only ended up running into one, the tallest, and burliest of the group.

I tried to run again, but he closed his huge hands over my shoulders, holding me still as he smiled kindly, and knelt down in front of me, still towering over my small frame nonetheless. Despite seeming big and frightening, he looked like he was about two seconds away from bursting into tears. He had the same dark hair and eyes as my daddy, and me even, but his features were larger, his eyebrows bushier, and his lips thinner than my daddy's.

"Hello," He greeted me softly, "My name is Samuel." I was still wary, but he didn't seem like he was going to do anything bad to me, so I replied quietly, "Hi."

My answer made him overjoyed, and the tears in his eyes threatened to spill over as he went around the circle of other men, and introduced them as well. He started with the one to his right, stating "This is Benjamin." The man had much more pronounced cheek bones than my daddy had had. He was a little shorter, and pudgier, too, but still smiled kindly, stating, "Hello, darlin'."

After that, Samuel went on to the next one in the circle, whose hair looked to be a few shades lighter than the rest had, possibly from sun exposure, and who had much tanner skin as well. He was also skinnier, with a wirier build than my daddy had had, "This is David." The guy grinned broadly, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waved and greeted, "Heya, cutie-pie!" He seemed rather nice, if not a little twitchy.

The last man, though, looked just plain mean. Aside from the scowl that marred his handsome features, he was a younger version of my daddy. It was uncanny. Samuel introduced, "And this is Gabriel."

"Charmed, I'm sure," The man spat, barely looking at me. "Watch it, _little brother_," Samuel scolded angrily, "She was Noah's, and that makes her ours."

"She's only _half_ ours," He responded grumpily, "And the other half is Nenmoi. Just because I don't want them to get her, doesn't mean I have to like her." I was very, very confused.

"What are you doing?" Someone suddenly yelped, I turned in time to see Peter come running, looking scared out of his mind, "You said you just wanted to see her! She wasn't supposed to know, and you weren't supposed to talk to her! Now she's gonna tell Sirius!"

"Oh, shut up, rodent," Gabriel spat, whirling on him, "If I wanted your opinion, I would've paid you for it!" Peter went completely silent, paling considerably as he shrank back a few steps. Gabriel looked rather pleased, but I didn't have much time to dwell on him because my attention was drawn back to Samuel.

He lightly petted my choppy hair, still looking like he was about to cry as he whispered, "You look so much like him..."

"Who?" I responded dumbly. The rest of you may have already figured out what was going on, but, at the time, I hadn't. Give me a break, I was sick.

Samuel's smile turned slightly sad, "My little brother. You have his eyes." That was when the warning bells started going off in my head. These were my daddy's brothers, and they weren't even supposed to know that I was alive, let alone what I looked like and where I was. They were bad people, Sirius had said so, and they were going to try to take me away. But, at the same time, most of them had been nothing but nice so far. Maybe Sirius had been wrong about them...

Regardless, I took a step away from Samuel, returning to my previous position in the center of the circle of men. Samuel looked hurt as he stood to his full height, easily over seven feet, asking, "What's the matter, honey?"

I nervously bit my lip and said nothing, trying to calculate how to get out of there. "Really, I think that's enough," Peter cut in, seeming to have regained his ability to speak, "The deal was for you to see her, and you've seen her. Now you need to go. I'm probably going to have to obliviate her as it is-"

"Then a few more minutes won't make any fucking difference!" Gabriel shouted, breaking the circle to advance menacingly on the poor man, who cowered in fear against a tree. Gabriel just screamed at him for awhile, seeming like he'd much rather torture the fat man than deal with me.

But as that was going on, the others turned back. The one that had been introduced as David, the one with the sun-lightened hair, and sun-darkened skin, held out his hand to me as he said, "Hey, sweetheart. It's nice to finally meet you. I don't know if you knew about us, but we're you're uncles, your daddy's brothers. We're family."

"Ok," I responded blankly, not taking his hand and unsure of what else I was supposed to say. That didn't stop David's grin, however, and he was bouncing up and down, and incessantly tapping his fingers on his thighs as he went on, "Don't you want to have uncles? We're really cool, I swear. Well, most of us..." He smirked as he nodded towards where Gabriel was still screaming at Peter.

I didn't answer. I didn't know what to say. Benjamin took his turn, "We don't want to hurt you, darlin'. We just wanted to see you because we loved our brother very much, and we love you, too." I nodded, "Ok."

All heads snapped up when a sudden, far-off cry of, "IVY!" echoed through the trees. It was Bill, I was sure of it, and made a mental note to seriously thank him later.

"IVY! WHERE ARE YOU!" His voice was getting closer, and the men looked a little uneasy. I heard Gabriel turn on Peter, growling, "I thought you said no one was home!"

"T-There wasn't! Sirius is on a mission, and everyone else should be at the meeting!" He squeaked, shrinking away. Gabriel looked ready to smack him, "Well, you were obviously mistaken!"

"I think we should go," Benjamin announced, "We don't want to be seen." The others nodded briefly, and started to walk away. Samuel hung behind, still looking like he was going to cry. Before I could prevent it, he picked me up off the ground in a massive, spleen-squishing bear-hug. "Bye for now," He said as he finally set me down, one single tear having escaped down his cheek, "But we'll be back. Don't worry."

"Come on, Sam," Benjamin said quietly as he took one of the man's elbows, "We have to go."

"IIIIIVVVVVYYYYY!" Bill was definitely nearby. I could've probably screamed, and he would've come running, but, for some reason, I couldn't. Samuel sniffed, blinking away more tears as he broke out into a soft grin, "Ya, alright. Come on."

"See ya later, squirt!" David shouted, ruffling my hair as he zoomed past me, grabbing Gabriel by the back of his shirt, and yanking him off of Peter. I hadn't even noticed that Gabriel had assaulted the rat man until that moment. In the next second they were gone, Peter, too.

"IV- OH! _THERE_ YOU ARE!" I turned, and Bill was running towards me through the thick fog, looking frantic, yet relieved. When he got to me, he was out of breath, and bent over slightly as he panted, and asked, "What are you... doing out here?"

I looked at him, and I suddenly didn't know. Everything that had just happened felt like a dream, and I wasn't sure if it was real or not, "I... I don't know... Samuel... David... Benjamin... and Gabriel... Peter... Where did Peter go?" I looked around frantically, barely aware that I was shivering, and found nothing.

Bill looked at me strangely, then drawled, "O... K... Maybe you should go back to bed. I think you're getting sick again."

I let him grab me by the arm, and gently lead me back to the house.

xxXxx

"You must have imagined it," Peter told me the next morning after I asked him about what had happened, "All of it. I was here the whole time, and I never saw any of those people you said talked to you. As for Bill, he must have snuck in after I went to bed. I'll have to talk to his mother about that. Don't worry though, the rest was probably just another fever dream."

I stared down into the plate of eggs he had brought me for breakfast, but the sight of them, as well as the smell, was making me nauseas again. What kind of idiot serves scrambled eggs to someone with the stomach flu? "I didn't imagine it," I asserted softly as I squeezed my eyes shut, "It happened, but Bill was gone when I woke up today, so I couldn't ask him..."

"Well," He asserted right back, walking aimlessly around my room, "It seems to me that if you have to ask other people to see if something actually happened, then you aren't so sure yourself. Don't worry, girl, from what I've heard from Sirius you've had lots of fever dreams, strange ones. This latest proves nothing other than you're not completely well. I wouldn't say anything to him about it if I were you. He might keep you in bed for longer." He stopped abruptly, then turned back to me, and seized the plate away, "Anyways, I'll be downstairs. Just shout if you need me." With that, he stormed from the room, slamming the door behind himself.

After I got out of bed, opened the door back up, and then got back into bed, I sat beneath my covers and thought very hard. I was almost sure it had actually happened, but not entirely. It still felt dream-like, and I had been sick. I guessed that it was possibly I imagined everything. Before I fell asleep again, I resolved to ask Bill the next time I saw him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hoorah! I am back! Hope you guys liked this one. More later.

Every review helps plant a tree in the rainforest... maybe... it might, you don't know...


	9. Part 9: It's Not My Birthday

Part 9 - It's Not My Birthday...

"One, two, thwee, fouw, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thiwteen, fouwteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-thwee... Siwius, what comes aftaw twenty-thwee?"

"Twenty-four, smart guy."

"Twenty-fouw! IVY!"

That was how I got woken up the next morning. At first, I was very confused. I think I might've still been a little sick, and I hadn't slept well with all the questions about what had happened the night before swimming around in my head, however it didn't take me very long to groggily sit up, and realize that Noah and Judy were in my room, in my bed, and bouncing happily on my stomach.

"Hey guys!" I croaked as I gathered them up into my arms for a long overdue hug, "I missed you _so_ much! Have you been good?"

They shared discreet conspiratorial glances, immediately tipping me off that they probably hadn't, then chimed together, "Yes!"

"Really?" I questioned, disbelief clearly evident in my voice. Judy wasn't fazed, however, Noah, ever the weak link in conspiracies and cover-ups, quickly broke down, yelping, "Judy made me do it!"

"Squealer!" She shrieked in reply, trying to fight her way out of my grasp so she could pummel him. Very carefully, I restrained her, and then addressed Noah, "What did she make you do?"

"Meh," Sirius chimed, plucking Judy away from me, "It was nothing." I raised an eyebrow, and he grinned as Judy threw her arms around his neck, cuddling against him and giving me a dark look, "Judy convinced him to play connect-the-dots on baby Ronnie, and then she cut some of Neville's hair off."

"JUDY!" I screamed, shocked (but not really _that_ shocked) she had done such a thing. She giggled, "He said he wanted a haircut!"

"No he didn't," Noah grumbled, shielding himself in my arms. Judy glared, and Sirius started cracking up. He was sort of a bad influence, wasn't he?

"Well, anyways," He said, "When I got back I decided I'd better take these little ones home so they didn't get in anymore trouble. Besides, you all seemed to miss each other, and Madame P says you're much better."

I really had missed those two little punks, and my grip on Noah got tighter as his grip on me did the same. I held out an arm for Judy, and she crawled over, fitting herself in my lap as she too hugged me desperately. I could see Sirius smiling sweetly at us.

"How were things while I was gone?" He asked me after awhile, "Did you like Peter?" I was still not sure which parts, if any, of that episode I had imagined or actually happened, so I didn't want to say anything until I was sure. "Ya," I answered quietly, "He was alright."

"Great!" He chirped, sitting down beside me, reclining lazily with his hands stuck behind his head. A big, sleepy smile was on his face as he closed his eyes, and we all fell into a comfortable silence. After awhile, I finally decided to ask, "How was your mission?"

He slowly cracked one eye to peek down at me, then shut it again as he answered, "Kinda boring. The people I was supposed to watch never showed up where our information said they would."

"Oh," I responded with a yawn as I gave up on consciousness and snuggled into his side. He let one of his arms drop around me, and the twins made themselves comfortable in the small space between us. Very soon, we were all asleep.

xxXxx

We laid in bed all that day, dozing on and off, and slept there that night. The next morning, I was the first one up, and I felt great. Since I was hungry and extremely anxious to get out of my room, I took advantage of Sirius being too unconscious to stop me, and got up to make some breakfast.

It was around 10 AM when I finally got a look at the clock, and I hurriedly set to cooking. I made french toast, fried eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, toast, and orange juice, and then set about to ravenously devouring it all.

Noah wandered down a bit later, and scrambled into my lap, stealing bits of my food as he proclaimed brightly, "Good mowning, Ivy. Can I have some hashbwowns, and fwench toast, and owange juice, pwease?"

"Of course, No," I answered, giving him a peck on the cheek as I simultaneously began making up a plate for him. He grinned cutely, "Thank you. Ivy, awe you bettaw?" I smiled, "I think I might be."

"Good," He declared resolutely as he dug into his food. I just laughed, and went back to mine.

Not even five minutes later, Sirius stumbled in, with Judy still completely passed out and tucked under his arm. He yawned tiredly, barely awake, "Hey, kiddo. Feeling better? Oh, WOW! What smells so fantastic?" Gradually, he forced his eyes to completely open and focus on the piles of food on the table. He then grinned, grabbing a few slices of bacon as he plopped down beside me and muttered, "You're an amazing little thing. Don't know how I ever got on without you."

I felt myself blush a little, and responded, "Thanks."

xxXxx

That night, at 7:37, Sirius was cleaning the dishes from all the meals I'd cooked that day when an owl came for him. He read it, and then started laughing.

"You feel up for a visit to James and Lily's?" He asked, wiping his hands on the hilarious, frilly pink apron he always insisted on wearing when he did dishes, "Apparently, Prongs has gone and blown himself up _again_, and Lily needs someone to watch Harry while she gets him sorted out at Mungo's."

"Of course!" I gasped frightfully, "Is he gonna be ok?" Sirius just laughed as he headed for his leather jacket, "I'm sure he'll be fine. The worst he's ever managed was a few limbs in places they shouldn't be. You go grab Noah, I'll get Judy. Meet up by the front door?" I scrambled down from my seat and answered, "Ya, sure."

Ten minutes later, after having helped Noah find a bag to carry his set of counting blocks he wanted to show Harry, I arrived at the front door, but neither Sirius nor Judy was present.

"Sorry I'm late," He chuckled a few minutes later as he came down the stairs with Judy kicking and screaming beneath his arm, "This one decided she doesn't like Harry."

"HE SMELLS BAD! I DON'T WANNA GO! PUT ME DOWN!" Judy shrieked as she fought like a wild little hellcat. I was horrified by her behavior, but Sirius just seemed to think that it was absolutely hilarious.

"Of course Harry smells," He told her, "He's a boy, and girls always think boys smell, up until about the age of thirteen, and then it's only the ones they don't want to kiss that smell."

"EEEEWWWWWW!" Noah and Judy declared together, looking disgusted and thoroughly scandalized. Of course, Sirius just thought that was even funnier, and he chuckled to himself all the way to his motorcycle.

xxXxx

The Potter house was completely dark when we got there, and I had a very bad feeling. After Sirius cut the bike's engine, everything went very quiet except for the twins' hushed whispers, and that made the surroundings even creepier.

"I wonder if they left already..." He mused to himself as he climbed off the bike, a twin tucked under each arm. I took Noah from him, and answered, "I dunno. Maybe. It's kinda weird though."

We wandered cautiously towards the house with only moonlight to help us find our way, and I was suddenly hyper-aware of every rustling in the bushes, every chirping cricket, every snicker from the twins. Something was definitely strange about this. "Hello?" Sirius called as he slowly approached the front door. It was unlocked, and cracked open slightly, and that was very unusual because Lily was a total security freak. "Prongs? Evans? You guys home?" He went on, carefully toeing the door open to reveal nothing but darkness inside the house. When he didn't receive an answer, I could tell he was starting to get very worried. I was sure when he handed Judy to me, drew his wand, and instructed gruffly, "Stay outside. If you hear anything strange, just run." With a wide-eyed nod from me, he slowly stalked into the darkness.

Both Noah and Judy were trying to stifle giggles as they whispered in hushed voices back and forth. As usual, I couldn't make out a thing they said since they'd made up some kind of weird twin-speak, a language all their own. I was rather confused that they seemed so happy though. Why weren't they freaked out like I was? I'm not that much of a chicken that two toddlers are braver than me!... I'm not!

"What is so funny?" I hissed quietly. Judy snickered into her hand as she chimed mockingly, "Nothing..."

"I want cake! Thew're gonna eat it all!" Noah suddenly shouted, struggling free from my grasp. He hit the floor and took off, and in my haste to catch him, I let Judy get away from me as well. She sprinted after him, right into the pitch blackness inside the house. I panicked, and chased after the both of them.

Just inside the doorway, I collided with Sirius. "OOF!" He grunted as I fell right onto my ass, scolding, "Ivy? What are you doing? I told you to wait outside!" Panting and slightly terrified, I answered as he hauled me to my feet by my arm, "I'm sorry! Noah and Judy ran in here! I was trying to get them!" Right on cue, I heard a pair of quiet giggles come from behind me. I turned to grab my mischievous brother and sister, however just as I spotted the guilty pair, the front door slammed shut, cutting off the dim moonlight.

The room fell into complete darkness, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I probably would've had a total panic attack if Sirius hadn't grabbed my hand and pulled me against his side. Just knowing he was there made it a little better.

Whispering and laughing was coming from all around us, and every now and then I caught a brief flicker of movement in the dark. We were surrounded, I was sure of it. I could feel my claustrophobia start to kick in. My head was swimming, and I was completely disoriented.

"Who's there?" Sirius shouted, pulling me tighter against his side. I couldn't see, but I'm pretty sure he must've been brandishing his wand in all directions.

In the next instant, the lights flicked on and the room became unbearably bright as a tremendously loud chorus of, "_SURPRISE!_" came from all around us. I screamed, and grabbed onto Sirius' legs, burying my face into his thigh. Unfortunately, he tried to run at that precise moment, and I ended up accidentally tripping him, causing us both to fall heavily to the ground.

"A bit jumpy today, Padfoot?" A bright, mocking voice inquired as I was hauled to my feet once more. I looked up and realized that it was James, and he had all his limbs in exactly the right places. He didn't look blown up at all. I was very, very confused.

"Prongs? What the fuck?" Sirius swore as he quickly got up, looking frantically around the crowded room. It seemed like the whole Order was there, and someone had hung colorful streamers from all the walls and ceilings, and food and wrapped packages were piled up on tables all over the place. A banner on the back wall caught my eye, and it read, 'Happy Birthday Ivy and Sirius!'

"I told you he forgot it," Remus proclaimed, somewhat haughtily, "Honestly, Padfoot, that's like the third year in a row! Get yourself a bloody calendar!"

"Huh?" Sirius replied, clearly as confused as I was. Lily stepped up a moment later, Harry in one arm and a very happy looking Noah in the other, rolling her eyes as she quipped impatiently, "Today is May nineteenth."

Sirius still looked extremely confused, making everyone in the room begin laughing at him once again. Lily did not seem amused. "May nineteenth is your birthday! You're twenty-three, dolt!" She swore at him, nearly getting knocked over by Judy as she chased a screaming Weasley twin (I wasn't sure if it was Fred or George) through the room.

"OOOOHHHH!" Sirius exclaimed, understanding, as well as a humungous, cheeky grin coming across his face, "It is? I am? Really? Well, hot damn, where's my presents?"

"Relax, mutt," James scolded lightly as he slung an arm around his best friend's neck, "Party's not _just_ for you."

"Yup," Lily said with smile, "It's for Ivy, too. We figured that since we never got a chance to throw her a proper party, we could have one for the both of you."

"And the surprise part," One Prewett twin chuckled as he scooped me off my feet and slung me over his shoulder. "Was _our_ idea," The other one finished. The one that picked me up began tickling me, and I became fairly sure that it was Gideon, since he was the one who seemed to enjoy tickling me a lot more, and made a mental note that he was wearing a neon pink t-shirt (as opposed to the neon purple one Fabian was wearing).

"I should've known that such a _brilliant_ scheme came from the two of you," Sirius said, rolling his eyes, "I can't believe you managed to convince everyone that a surprise party in the middle of a war was a good idea! You all scared me half to death, ya know! I thought the house was full of Death Eaters!"

"Obviously," Another voice chuckled. I momentarily looked up from where I was burying my face in Gideon's shoulder to stifle my giggles, and saw Peter walking towards the group. He winked discreetly at me, and then started talking with the others. Of course, I didn't hear what he said because Gideon's tickling got more severe and I became rather preoccupied with trying not to wet myself.

"Uncle Gid!" I heard Bill whine about ten minutes of nonstop tickling later, "Give her back!" In the next second, he had jumped on his uncle, managing to somehow knock us all over into one of the couches. He was laughing just as much as I was as he fought futilely against the older man. It did make Gideon quit tickling me, so it wasn't completely for nothing.

"My, my," He teased as he pinned Bill in an awkward position, somehow managing to get the boy's skinny ankle behind his head. Gideon's clear blue eyes were shining and his freckled face was graced by a broad, knowing smile as he remarked, "_Give her back_? That is awfully possessive, young William. Women are not objects, you know!"

"Uncle Giiiiid!" Bill whined again, his face turning bright red as he still struggled to get himself free. His uncle merely laughed as he finally released the both of us, and placing us gently onto our feet side by side in front of the couch, "Alright, alright. After all, who am I to stand in the way of young love?" I fell over.

No, you don't understand. I. Fell. Over.

Coincidentally, I fell right into Bill, and he caught me around the waist before I could actually hit the ground. Our faces were so close that our noses were almost touching. Talk about awkward.

"Er..." He drawled slowly as his cheeks became pink, and his ivy green eyes locked on mine, "Are you... Did, um... That is... Uh..." I blushed, and looked away, steadying myself with my hands on his shoulders as I stood, stating, "I'm fine. You can... um... let go of me now." It was odd how he reacted. His arms lingered around my waist for another few seconds, and he looked almost reluctant to move them, but then, in a flash, he was a full meter away from me, mumbling towards his feet, "'M sorry."

I smiled softly, "You don't have to be sorry. Thanks for catching me." That seemed to brighten him up quite a bit, as he turned a goofy grin my way, and began chattering nonstop once again, "You're welcome. I didn't think you'd like to fall into the ground. I've done that, and it hurts. This one time, me and Charlie were playing that the floor was made of hot lava, and we were jumping back and forth between the sofas, and I slipped, and I fell, and I landed on my head, and I had to go to the hospital because I got a concussion! That's when your brain gets bumped and bleeds inside your head! I was ok afterwards though, except for that I had to de-gnome the garden because I wasn't supposed to be jumping on the furniture."

"Wow," I said, strangely fascinated by the tale, "Your brain was bleeding into your head?" He seemed proud as he puffed out his chest and nodded triumphantly, "And outside it, too! I got cut, and had to get it mended at the hospital! I've got a scar! See!" Very quickly, he leaned down closer to my level, and presented his forehead to reveal a thin, white mark just below his hair line on the left side. I couldn't believe I'd never noticed it before, but I think it was probably because, before he'd cut it all off, his hair had been covering it, not to mention that it was angled more towards the top of his head, and I couldn't see it from my height unless he bent down. "Cool..." Was my only, rather breathless response as I ran my fingers lightly over the slightly raised brand.

"Told you chicks dig scars," Fabian laughed as he walked past, ruffling my hair and then Bill's before catching a beer bottle someone threw to him, and disappearing again. Bill stood back up, still blushing.

"You got any cool scars?" He asked me a few seconds later, trying to smile through his apparent embarrassment. I did have lots of scars, more than I should have for my young age, but they were far from cool. The remnants of child abuse are hardly cool.

"No," I said quietly, unable to make eye contact as I lied to my friend, and tried to pull my sleeves over the fading marks still clearly visible on my forearms. Bill seemed to notice how uncomfortable I was, and, thankfully, backed off.

"So, er, happy birthday!" He said, his voice squeaking cutely as he tried to pull a quick subject change. I smiled at him, "It's not my birthday! My birthday was last month!" He gave me that funny look of his, kind of scrunching up half his face and pursing his lips, as he asked, "What? Well, then why is your party today?

I shrugged, "Donno. I guess cuz I didn't have one on my birthday. I haven't had one in a long time." The last birthday party I'd had had been when I turned nine. Momma and Daddy took me to the zoo. The memory made me feel like crying.

However, before I could dwell on it too long, I was picked up off the ground again. "Come on, birthday-girl!" Sirius declared happily as he swung me up so I was sitting on his shoulders, "Time to blow out our candles!" I laughed, "But it's not my birthday!" He looked up at me, his smile seeming particularly devilish as he asked, "So?" Since I had no response to that flawless argument, I merely giggled happily, and held on tight as he carried me towards a gigantic, red and gold birthday cake that had been set on the table in the center of the room.

"_Happy birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Ivy and Sirius! Happy birthday to you!_" The song was delightful, and very, _very_ loud, mostly because the Prewett twins and James were screaming it at the top of their lungs. It didn't matter though. It just made it even more wonderful.

"Make a wish, love," Sirius whispered to me as he leaned us both forward to blow out the incredible amount of candles that were stuck into that cake. I couldn't think of anything momentous, so I just settled for wishing that things would be ok. I shouldn't have been so damn vague...

It took us awhile, but we finally got all the candles, and when the last one was out, every single one started shooting off gold sparks over the entire crowd of people. That earned many applause and cheers. It was all very magical.

And it was _really_ good cake. I'm pretty sure Bill's mom made it, chocolate, with caramel and marshmallow filling, and buttercream icing. Basically, _Heaven_.

Three hours and about four slices later, I was feeling sick to my stomach, but still incredibly happy. Bill and I were lying on the couch together. He had his arms around me, cradling my head on his chest and rubbing my stomach because I'd told him that I was feeling ill, and he'd insisted. It was... nice. If it hadn't been for the fact that I was slightly pissed that he'd eaten three times as much cake as me and hadn't gotten sick (in fact, he was asking for more), it would've been perfect.

I let Bill's actions relax me as I watched the rest of the room. Noah was in the corner, playing with Harry, Ron, and Neville, trying to teach them all how to count with his infamous blocks. Unfortunately, it wasn't working, as Harry seemed to be terrified of six, Ron was trying to eat three, and the only number Neville seemed interested in was seven, since he kept shouting it at the top of his lungs as he hurled the block at Percy, who was trying to read quietly under an end table.

Judy was still harassing Fred and George, though they didn't seem to mind too much. Actually, all three seemed to be greatly enjoying themselves. Judy would tackle one twin, the other would tackle her, then the first would tackle the second again, and they'd all wrestle around for awhile, until Fred and George would make another run for it, and Judy would be right on their heels. It was really quite cute, especially since all three had hands and faces smeared rather liberally with cake.

Though I was looking around for him, I couldn't find Charlie. He must've been hiding or something.

The Prewett twins were trying to do cartwheels down the stairs, while Molly (their younger sister, I'd finally been informed) (and, coincidentally, the only completely sober person at the party, due to her pregnancy), chased after them and tried to keep them from doing too much property damage, or bodily harm.

The rest of the adults were all milling around, talking excitedly, drinking excessively, and, in James and Sirius' case, entertaining themselves by thinking up the outcomes of fights between people from the many chocolate frog cards they had leftover from the many, _many_ chocolate frogs they were devouring.

"Merwyn the Malicious versus... OOO! Gillford Ollerton!" Sirius declared, a little bit sloshed, and having trouble keeping upright in his seat. James smiled stupidly, his eyes huge and unfocused behind his glasses, "Merwyn! No question! That bloke invented most of my favorite jinxes! What did Ollerton ever do? Slay a few giants? Psh! Giants are stupid, anyone can do that!"

"Hey!" A gruff voice from the stocky, bearded man on the card insisted indignantly, "It was hard, wanker! I'd like to see you do it!" James and Sirius began giggling madly into each others shoulders, and after awhile, James went on, "Ok, ok, my turn. How about... Almerick Sawbridge versus Alberic Grunnion!"

Sirius looked speculative, and took another sip of his beer. "Tough one," He finally mumbled some time later, "Sawbridge beat up that river troll, but, then again, Grunnion is a hero. He invented dungbombs, after all..."

I got distracted at that point by Bill, as he decided to turn the soothing tummy rub, into poking my in the side as he inquired, "Do you feel better yet?" I snuggled into him as I replied, "Ya. Thanks."

From the way his voice sounded, I could just tell he was grinning like a maniac, "You're welcome." I was granted a few more seconds of peace before he suddenly jumped to his feet and pulled me with him.

"Come on!" He declared urgently as he yanked me out the front door. I was less than thrilled, "Bill! Are you crazy? Where are we going?" He smiled at me over his shoulder as he said, "I want to give you my present before you open the rest of them."

"Presents?" I was taken completely off guard, "I have presents?" Don't think I'm stupid, I just really wasn't expecting anything from anyone. The whole 'having people who care about you' concept was still new. Bill looked at me strangely, "It's your birthday party. Of course you got presents."

When we were a ways away from the house, still close enough to hear Bill's uncles singing a rather poor rendition of London Bridges, but far enough away so that the lights from the house weren't providing only minimal illumination of our surroundings, he finally stopped.

He dug around in his pocket for awhile, searching for something in the depths of the incredibly deep pockets of his enchanted pants (I still can't even think about those things without laughing. I mean, honestly, _enchanted pants!_). Eventually, he found what he was looking for, and proudly held it out to me, declaring softly, "Here. Happy Birthday, Ivy."

It was a necklace, a long, thin strip of black leather cord that had something tied to the end of it. At first I thought it was just a rock, but as I looked closer, I discovered that it was sort of a pendant, what looked and felt like a flake of dark green, almost black glass that was shaped like a slightly crude ivy leaf.

"Dad said it's called obsidian!" Bill chattered nervously, "It comes from volcanoes! I don't know how it got into the forest behind my house, because I'm pretty sure there are no volcanoes anywhere around there. If there were, I'd know, cuz I'd have gone exploring on them, but I found it when I was playing with Charlie, and the shape reminded me of your name. Uncle Gid, and Fabe, and Dad helped me make with making it into a necklace for you. So... um... do you like it?"

Did I like it? It was one of the nicest things anyone had ever given me! It was beautiful, and thoughtful, and so incredibly wonderful, and it made me feel like he really cared about me. I didn't know what to say, and after a second or two of trying and failing to think of something, I settled for jumping on Bill and hugging him tightly around his neck.

"I love it," I croaked softly into his ear, "Thank you, Billy." Very awkwardly, he put his arms around me, and hugged me right back, replying with a high-pitched crack in his voice, "You're welcome."

I held onto him for a long time, probably a little too long, but I was so overwhelmed with his present that it didn't matter at the time. He didn't seem to mind too much anyways. When I finally did let go, slowly releasing him but not bothering to step back very far, I could see even in the almost darkness that his face was bright red. He smiled as he took the necklace from me and leaned across to tie it around my neck, saying quietly, "I'm glad you like it."

I'm not exactly sure how long we stood there before a strangely familiar voice drew my attention. "Hey, princess," It chirped, "I hear it's your birthday!"

I turned away from Bill, and saw in the darkness that my dad's brothers, Samuel, David, Benjamin, and Gabriel, were coming up the walk. It was David who had spoken, and as he got closer he tossed a small wrapped package at me. "There ya go," He said with a big, goofy smile, "From all of us. Happy birthday. How old are you now, like, twenty, right?"

Of course, he was joking, but I was still sort of afraid of all of them. Sirius had told me they were bad people, and that if they found me they would try to take me away. They were really here this time. I was sure of it. I hadn't been sure if I'd imagined them or not the other night, but here they were, definitely not figments of my imagination (like Peter said they were), especially if the way Bill was staring confusedly at them was any indication.

"It's not my birthday," I declared softly, grabbing Bill's hand as I began to back away towards the house, preparing to flee. "Don't go, honey," Samuel pleaded with a kind, slightly quirky smile that was almost identical to my daddy's, "We just wanna talk."

"Who are you?" Bill asked brightly from my side, clearly not catching on that I was wary of the men, "My name's Billy Weasley, and this is my friend, Ivy Sennen." Gabriel looked like he'd gotten something foul-tasting in his mouth, wrinkling his nose as he spat, "_Weasley?_"

"Shut up!" David scolded, discreetly elbowing his brother in the ribs as Samuel bent down closer to our level, and offered his hand out to Bill, "Hello, Billy. It's very nice to meet you. My name is Samuel Kasen, and these are my brothers, David, Benjamin, and Gabriel. We came here to visit our niece on her birthday."

"It's _not_ my birthday," I insisted grumpily, getting completely ignored as Bill energetically shook Samuel's hand, and continued to chat.

"Your niece has the same birthday as Sirius!" He announced proudly, "Who is she? We should tell the grown ups that it's her birthday, too, so that we can have another cake, and sing to her." Samuel winked at me as he said, "Your friend, Ivy, is our niece. Her daddy, Noah, was my little brother."

"Really?" Bill asked as he turned to me, "I didn't know you had any uncles. And your brother has the same name as your daddy?"

Oh hell...

"Brother?" David asked, clearly astounded by this new piece of information. I wanted to beat Bill to a bloody pulp. "Ya," He chattered on, oblivious to what he'd just done, "Noah is her little brother. He's twins with Judy." If I had the power to explode people with my mind, that boy would've been a scorch on the ground. Leave it to Billy Weasley to blab the biggest secret I had.

"Bill!" I hissed venomously as I began tugging on his arm. "What?" He inquired dumbly, still not getting it. I decided to give up on making him, and just took off running towards the house, dragging him behind me. He was still yelling at me to stop when I finally busted through the front door.

Everyone jumped, and, since most of them were drunk, about half then proceeded to fall over. I didn't care though, I just kept running, and I went straight for Sirius. I really didn't mean to, and he was already sitting down so it wasn't a big deal or anything, but I like totally jumped on him and tackled him back into his seat.

"Whoa!" He laughed, throwing his arms around my small body, "Where's the fire, kiddo?"

"I didn't imagine them!" I reported breathlessly, "I didn't! They were really real, because they're here!" He looked confused, and then I heard James ask brightly, "Who's here? Did Mundungus finally show up with that girlfriend of his? Damn, I owe Moony ten galleons. I was sure he was making her up again..."

A knock at the door drew attention away from me, and the supposedly fictional girlfriend of the guy with the weird name. "I'll get it!" Sirius chimed, brightly jumping to his feet and carrying me with him towards the door. I clung to his neck, "No! No! Don't answer it!"

"That wouldn't be very nice of us," He laughed, "What's gotten into you? You look like you've seen a ghost. Was it that one who lives in the attic? You shouldn't be afraid of her, she's actually a very nice lady. She has some great stories, too. Ask her to tell you the one about-"

Sirius cut himself off when he saw the four men on the doorstep. I couldn't even look, and buried my face into his neck.

"Can I help you?" He asked coolly, leaning against the doorframe. Sounding bubbly and upbeat, David chimed, "Here for the party."

"Sorry, you're not on the guest list," Sirius snapped, trying to slam the door shut, "Bye." For a split second, I thought that would be the end of it. But, of course, I'm not that lucky. Gabriel stuck his foot in the way.

"Don't be cute," He spat, "You know what we're here for." I felt the arms around me tighten as Sirius replied, "Fuck off, Death Eater."

"Don't believe everything you hear," Samuel said calmly, "If we were Death Eaters, don't you think we would have just killed you and taken her by now? Having dealings with the Dark Lord doesn't make us followers or fanatics."

"You might as well be," Sirius countered, getting angry at this point, "Cooperating with evil people to get what you want makes you just as bad as them!" The inside of the house was growing quiet as the other members of the party realized that something was going on. Samuel remained calm, "I thought you could be reasoned with. She's _our_ niece."

I could feel Sirius' jaw clench, and then he quipped, "Ya, well she's my niece, too."

David snorted, still sounding like he was laughing slightly as he argued, "Like, five times removed. You really think that crap is going to hold up? You're related through marriage _only_, one of them being between two squibs. You're bloody mental. She's our brother's daughter, and she should be with us."

"IVY! Freddie called me a baby! I am not a baby! Make him have a time out!"

"IVY! What comes aftaw twenty-five?"

I swear, those two always know the exact _worst_ possible time to do everything. I've always been aware of that, of course, but the fact that they'd just turned up on either side of me was more proof of my theory.

Sirius set me down, still blocking the door with his body as he instructed gruffly, "Take them inside, kiddo." I certainly didn't have to be told twice, and it would have worked if Noah wasn't such a damn people-person.

"Hello!" He shouted brightly at our uncles, "Do you know what comes aftaw twenty-five?" All four men were speechless, their mouths hanging open as they stared in awe of my little brother, who was the spitting image of my father.

"Uh...Tw-Twenty...er..." Samuel tried, but could not finish. David jumped in, smirking as he joked, "A billion." Noah made a face at him, "Really?"

"NO!" I shouted, scooping him up off the ground and holding him tightly to me as I took a few steps back into the house, "Twenty-six. Twenty-six comes next. Don't teach him the wrong numbers!"

"You're too big!" Oh, great. I'd just gotten one twin away from the suspicious, possibly dangerous uncles, and the other had to go and start with them. Judy was scowling at Samuel, her hands fisted at her hips and her feet set wide apart, "Why are you so big? You should be smaller! Your head is too close to the ceiling!" Of all the things she could've chosen to say... Good lord, that girl is _strange_...

Samuel, still looking extremely confused, as well as halfway between laughing and crying, offered softly, "I'm... very sorry?" Judy remained angry as she countered, "Well, you should be!"

The situation was bad, but it got ten times worse when Gabriel leaned towards David and I heard him whisper disgustedly, "She looks just like the slut mother."

"HEY!" I shouted, putting Noah down, shoving Judy back into the house, and pushing my way in front of Sirius, "DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT ABOUT MY MOMMY OR MY SISTER!" Now, I'm not really the kind of person who gets mad very often, and, even when I do, I tend to be more passive aggressive, but in this particular situation, I was quite ready to hurt somebody. And I went straight for Gabriel.

"APOLOGIZE!" I growled, getting face to face (well, face to chest, anyways) with the man who was a younger, far crueler version of my father. He didn't seem fazed at all. In fact, his expression changed only slightly as he gaze down at me. His upper lip curled in disgust, and he hissed, "Make me." I never in a million years expected him to shove me, and that's why I wasn't prepared when he did, and why I fell, and why I smacked my head rather hard against the front steps.

It hurt. A lot. My vision erupted into white hot pain. Fortunately, I managed to stay conscious, because I would've hated to have missed what happened next.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER!" Sirius screamed, running to my side as my eyes began to focus again. He check me over very quickly, then rounded on Gabriel, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? YOU ACTUALLY THINK I'D LET YOU TAKE HER AFTER SEEING THAT? GET OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW, OR YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DRAG YOURSELF BECAUSE I'LL BREAK YOUR DAMN LEGS!" By that time, James, Remus, Lily, and the Prewett twins had all come out of the house, followed by most of the rest of the Order. My uncles were extremely outnumbered.

Samuel, David, and Benjamin stepped in between Sirius and Gabriel, David putting his hands up defensively as he soothed, "Easy, mate. We know he's a psycho, and he's horrible with children. It's the reason he can't get any girls to go out with him and will hopefully never spawn any little demons of his own. He doesn't want her, or the other two."

"_We_ do," Samuel insisted, gesturing between himself and the other two men. Sirius was not at all calmed by these words. In fact, I think they may have made him even angrier. He drew his wand, "You'll have to go through me to get them."

"And me," James said calmly, taking up position on Sirius' right. Remus stepped up on the left, also with a wand in his hand, "And me."

"You can't take them," Fabian stated as he and his brother also joined the human barricade. Gideon smirked twistedly, "Ya! We unstuck Ivy from the staircase, so that makes her ours! And the little ones are too educational to get rid of!" Everyone turned and looked at him strangely.

"I think you should come inside, dear," I looked up as Mrs. Weasley laid her hand gently on my shoulder. I was still in the dirt beside the steps, and my head was _killing_ me. I was really, really sleepy, but I wanted to see what was happening. I was worried about people getting hurt, because it certainly looked like that's what the fight was escalating to. I couldn't argue though, because she picked me up and physically carried me in the house just as the front yard started exploding with colorful bursts of light.

I could hear a fight going on outside, and I could see the windows glowing from the spellfire, but everything was starting to get sort of... fuzzy. I just felt like sleeping. Mrs. Weasley laid me gently on the couch, instructing Bill, who was wide-eyed beside it, "Billy, sweetheart, this is very important. I have to owl for a healer. Make sure Ivy doesn't go to sleep. I think she might have a concussion, like you had, remember?" He nodded, "Ok, Mum. I can do that." And then she was gone, and I was left alone with Bill.

Of course, I really didn't want to be alone with him at that point. It was his fault that my uncles knew about Noah and Judy, him and his big stupid mouth, and I was terrified about what that would mean for us. I didn't want to have to leave Sirius.

"Ivy," He began softly, kneeling by my side, "Are you ok?" I groaned, and tried to roll away. Of course, it was fairly useless since I suddenly felt so incredibly exhausted. Weakly, I replied, "'M tired."

"That's cool," He said brightly, "That means you've probably got a concussion, like I did. You'll be ok, but it makes you feel sleepy, and it makes your head hurt. You can't go to sleep though, because if you do you might not wake up. That's what the healers told me, so just stay awake, and talk to me, ok?"

It was so damn hard to stay mad at that kid, especially when he was being so sickeningly nice, and when I just didn't have the energy. "Ok," I sighed weakly, my eyelids falling shut.

Of course, Bill was on top of that situation, shaking me by my shoulders as he asked, "So, those guys, those were your uncles? They seemed pretty cool. Did you open the present they gave you?"

"I... um... no..." I responded slowly, starting to have more and more trouble with focusing my vision. Bill smiled at me, gesturing toward my hand, "Well, open it. See what it is." The small package was still clutched in my hand. Throughout all the confusion, I had somehow managed to hang onto my gift. It was just a squareish package, about the size of a brick, wrapped in pink paper with silvery stars on it, and tied with a frilly pink bow. Actually, it was quite pretty.

I put a lot of energy into opening the package, carefully untying the bow with my uncooperative fingers, and making sure not to rip the paper (yes, I'm one of those weird people who won't rip wrapping paper, bite me). The whole ordeal made me rather dizzy.

In the end, I had a small, very ornate wooden box to show for it. It was black, and glossy, and I could just barely see the grain of the wood, making it look kind of smoky and mysterious. The top had delicate little pink flowers on a greenish vine inlaid into it. It was pretty, but... what the hell was it for?

"Oh," Bill chimed brightly as he took it from my hands, "It's a music box. See, it has this little knob on the bottom, and you wind it up, and then open it, and it plays music. My mum has one with a ballerina inside that dances when you open it, but I like yours better." While he was talking, he was cranking a little key on the bottom of the box, and when he was done, put it back into my hands. I opened it.

Before I completely fell into a trance, I recognized it as the music I'd heard the other night when Bill had snuck into my room, the music I heard just before waking up surrounded by my uncles. It was the same eerie, unnamable tune that just felt like it was calling me to something. As my vision started to fade, I could hear Bill yelling at me to stay awake and feel him shaking me roughly by my shoulders, but it didn't do any good. I couldn't help but let the music take me away.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I'm severely hungover. And my best friends and I were attacked by raccoons last night... while we were naked in a hot tub... don't ask... just review to make me feel better...


	10. Part 10: Solidarity

Part 10 - Solidarity

It wasn't until after I was released from Mungo's that I heard the rest of the story about what happened the night of mine and Sirius' joint birthday party.

There was indeed a firefight outside of the Potters' house, which Lily was far from happy about (a window and a lawn gnome were damaged irreparably). My uncles were very outnumbered, but since they were all sober and far more willing to use extremely nasty and violent curses on the Order members, things evened out a bit. The Potters' closest neighbor saw the lights from almost three miles away, and, thinking that it was a Death Eater attack, called the auror squad.

When they got there and discovered nothing more than a rather out of hand domestic disturbance, they were extremely relieved, and it didn't take them long to get it stopped.

Of course, that was around the time that Mrs. Weasley ran out of the house screaming that I'd passed out, and no one could wake me up. Sirius flipped and broke Gabriel's jaw with a swift sucker-punch. The both of them were then arrested, Sirius for assault, and Gabriel for child abuse after it was explained to the aurors that it was his fault I'd hit my head.

James followed the aurors to the Ministry to post Sirius' bail, and while they were gone the rest of the group set to work trying to rouse me and to contact a healer.

My condition had worsened in the interim. I was moaning and writhing, mumbling something incoherent and screaming every so often. I was told it was strange and frightening.

Bill was rather terrified, thinking that I was never going to wake up again, and that it was all his fault for not successfully making me stay conscious. They couldn't tear him away from me, and he kept shaking me, and yelling for me to wake up. It was a very fortunate thing that he did, because it's what finally made everyone realize that I hadn't just merely passed out.

In fact, I was in a trance from the melody that was still steadily playing from the music box. Bill broke it, making it fall from my hands as he shook me. As soon as it hit the floor, the music that no one had really paid any mind to shut off, and I finally came out from whatever spell I was under. I didn't wake up, but the moaning, and struggling, and screaming, and strange mumbling stopped. I laid back into the couch, and was silent and still.

After seeing that, they decided that they would definitely need to rush me to the hospital since I had clearly not just suffered a head injury, but had also been put under some kind of curse. Later, we all discovered that it was meant to be some sort of brainwashing curse, a subliminal variation of the _imperius_. The music was meant to make me want to live with my uncles, however, since I was so extremely pissed at them, my body fought the curse, causing the effects that were observed.

After much argument over how they were going to get me to the hospital (since they'd had no luck getting a healer to come to the house), it was Gideon who finally just wrapped me in a blanket, and jumped with me into the floo. Coincidentally, he was also the one who noticed that I was bleeding rather profusely. Up until he laid his hand on the back of my head to protect it from getting hit as we spun through the floo network, no one had realized it. The blood from the gash I'd sustained when I hit the steps had been blending into my hair, and the pillow my head had been laying on was a dark color, so it blended in there as well. It made the situation all the more urgent.

So, he rushed me to St. Mungo's and handed me off to the healers, and then he spent the next four hours flirting shamelessly with any nurse who passed his way. He said it made him feel better. Hehe, typical.

They did fix me up, and by the time I finally regained consciousness (which was almost twelve hours after I first passed out) Sirius was back by my side, having been released from ministry custody just a few hours earlier. Gideon was on my right, Sirius and James on my left, and all of them were asleep in their chairs, their heads lolling back in a way that looked like it was going to cause rather serious kinks in their necks.

I groggily sat up, the back of my head giving a throb of pain and making me feel dizzy once again. And my clothes were freakin' _gone_. In their place was a blue paper hospital gown. I was very, very confused, and I felt horrible. I reached my hand to the back of my head, trying to rub away some of the ache I felt there, but that's when my hand collided with a raw, tender gash. The little whimper that came next was inescapable because it hurt like hell.

"Don't touch," James scolded, making me jump. He never picked his head up and just barely cracked one eye open for a split second as he went on, "They had to mend your head since it was such a deep cut, and you'll split it open again if you touch it. How do you feel?"

"'M ok," I responded quietly. He yawned, and shifted slightly in his chair, "Good. Get some rest then. They said you could go home later today if you woke up alright." He went back to sleep after that, and I was left to sit up and wonder about how I had gotten there in the first place. My memories about the whole thing were rather fuzzy at the time, and I was still unaware of all the stuff that went on while I was unconscious.

About a half hour later, the door slowly opened, and Bill cautiously crept into the room. He smiled brightly when he saw that I was awake, and then crept closer as he whispered, "Hi." I smiled back, and replied, "Hi."

"Shhh," He said quietly, looking around at the three men passed out around my bed, "I'm not supposed to be here."

"Oh," I whispered as he got closer. When he got right beside the bed, he held out my music box, looking slightly ashamed as he informed me, "Here. I think I broke it. It doesn't play anymore. I'm sorry." I shrugged as I took it, setting it next to me, "That's ok. I didn't like the music anyways. It made me feel funny."

"Oh," He said cheerfully, "Well, that's good then." In a hilarious flurry of awkward, gangly limbs, he jumped onto my bed and took a seat beside me. With one more look around the room to make sure that the adults were still asleep, he turned to me once more, and grinned broadly, "So, are you ok now?"

"Ya," I said, gingerly reaching a hand up to the back of my head, but being careful to restrain myself before I touched the cut, "I got my head mended."

"Way cool!" Bill replied in an excited whisper, "Lemme see!" I smirked, and leaned forward to give him a look, warning, "Just don't touch though. James said I'm not supposed to."

"_Wicked_," I could feel his breath falling on the sensitive skin around the wound, "I think your cut is bigger than mine was!" It made me giggle, and I turned back around to find that his face was very close to mine. Our eyes locked very briefly, and then we both looked to the side, blushing.

"Well, er," Bill began, scooting away slightly, "I'm glad you're ok." I smiled, "Ya, me too."

"I bet you'll get a cool scar, like I have," He said, grinning broadly, "Now we're scar-buddies. We both got concussion scars." Again, it made me giggle. I mean, who comes up with stuff like that? It was really cute though. "Ya, I guess we are scar-buddies now," I responded with a laugh.

"Wha- Weasley?" Sirius suddenly groaned, making the both of us jump. He rubbed his neck and blinked heavily as he sat up, "How'd you get here?" Bill looked sheepishly at his feet, "I snuck into the floo. Sorry. I just wanted to make sure Ivy was ok."

Sirius smacked his lips together a few times, grumbling, "Weren't so concerned about her when you made her get sick on your playdate." That was a bit of a low blow, especially since it wasn't really Bill's fault that I got sick. Still, it made him wince, "Ya, I know. I'm sorry..."

"Billy, it wasn't your fault," I insisted quietly, then turning to Sirius, "It really wasn't his fault. He didn't make me sick."

"Ok," Sirius drawled, sounding a little grumpy, "Well, he obviously did something to you to have been upset enough to run home and spend four hours in a cold shower."

"I..." Bill explained, sounding ashamed, "I played a joke. I pretended that I died... I didn't mean to make her sick..." I patted him on the shoulder, "You didn't make me sick. It wasn't your fault. You didn't know and I overreacted."

I looked over at Sirius, trying to make sure he understood that that was all that happened. I'm pretty sure he had believed that Bill had done something horrible to me, but once he knew the truth, he seemed to calm down quite a bit. He understood that I had seen so much death that I just couldn't handle people pretending to die. And I think he forgave Bill in an instant.

"Alright," He said, getting clumsily to his feet, "Sounds like it was an accident. You can stay. Just go owl your mum so she knows where you are." Bill grinned like a maniac, bounced off my bed, and ran from the room, shouting, "Thank you!"

"Strange, that one," Sirius remarked casually, taking Bill's seat beside me. He threw an arm around my neck and carefully ruffled my hair as he asked, "How you feeling, kiddo? That big ole brain of yours still functioning at twice normal capacity?" I laughed, resting my head against his chest and winding my arms around him as I answered, "Ya, I think so."

We sat in silence, and I was starting to fall asleep again just from being so close to Sirius' warmth and steady heartbeat, but I suddenly got jerked fully awake. I sat up and blinked, seeing that Sirius had bent forward to snatch my music box off the bed. Cautiously, he inspected it, just barely prying open the lid as he said, "You shouldn't be playing with this. It's cursed."

"No, it's ok," I told him, snuggling into his chest again, "Bill broke the curse when he made it fall. The music doesn't play anymore, and that's the part that made me feel funny."

Sirius didn't seem convinced as he continued to examine the small black box, "Still. You shouldn't be playing with cursed objects..."

"You're not _actually_ going to take away a little girl's birthday present, are you, Black?" I heard Gideon laugh. I looked over at him to find that he was indeed awake, stretching his arms high over his head. He saw me watching him, and winked slyly as he went on, "The healers did say that it was just the music that did her in. Nothing wrong with the box itself."

Sirius glared at the redhead across the room, then reluctantly handed the box back to me as he grumbled, "I guess."

"Feeling better, sweetheart?" Gideon asked, getting to his feet and doing a series of random calisthenics. I smiled sweetly at him, "Ya, much better. Thank you."

"Ok, I sent the owl," Bill declared as he strolled back into the room, grinning from ear to ear, "Mum wrote back saying that I could stay, but I'm in big trouble when I get home." Gideon matched his nephew's grin, announcing, "I'm proud. It's like I always say, you aren't really having a good time until you're going to be in big trouble when you get home." Sirius and I began to snicker, and Bill's whole face turned red.

xxXxx

They released me from the hospital around noon with the instructions that I was to rest and take care not to split open my mending gash. As if I needed someone to tell me that.

Gideon and James apparated back to the Potters' house, but Sirius decided to give Bill and me a ride back on his motorcycle. I wasn't as terrified as I used to be of flying through the air on that monstrous machine, but I wasn't too fond of it either. Of course, Bill thought it was the coolest thing ever. Lunatic.

By the time we touched down in the front yard, Sirius had _somehow_ (_cough_ Bill's fault _cough_) gotten the idea that he would teach us how to drive his bike. Let me say this again, just so you fully understand the situation: he was trying to teach two eleven-year-olds, one of whom had just sustained a massive head injury, how to operate a _flying motorcycle_. It was a recipe for disaster if I'd ever heard one, but disaster does happen to be the only thing Sirius ever managed to cook successfully... Though it was probably good he stuck mostly to disaster; there was less vomiting.

"Ok, let's start with the basics," He instructed, clearly excited about his new little project, "There are two brakes, one for the front wheel, which is on the right handlebar, and one for the back wheel, which is this pedal on the right. Now, when you're braking, you want to either use both at the same time, or slowly just the back one. If you use just the front one, it'll probably flip you and the bike. Got that?"

"Yup!" Bill shouted, paying very close attention from his seat behind Sirius. I was in front, sitting in between Sirius' legs, and gulped, "Um... wait, no! What was that part about flipping over?"

Both of them laughed at me. Jerks. And Sirius continued, "Don't worry, kiddo. I'm not gonna let you hurt yourself. Moving on, first thing you have to do to start the bike, is to turn the fuel on. It's on the left there, Ivy. Just turn it so it's pointing up."

After I reluctantly did so, the lesson continued, "Right, good job, love. Next is the choke. It's this knob right here on the engine. Move your foot, Bill. Now, if the motor is cold, you have to pull it out before you can start. Then you warm it up, and put the choke back into running position. Pull on it Ivy. Good. Got that?"

"Yup!" Bill announced excitedly, fidgeting in his seat. I was a little less enthusiastic, but I was following nevertheless, so I gave a brief nod to show that I understood.

Sirius gave a loud bark of a laugh as he went on, "Next, we turn on the ignition. Gotta use the key for that. Here, Weasley. It's on the left, under the gas tank. Start her up." I looked over my shoulder just in time to see Bill's eyes almost bug out of his skull as Sirius handed over the keys. I'm sure the boy was expecting to turn the key and have the bike suddenly come roaring to life, however, all that happened was that the headlight came on. I giggled at the slightly disappointed expression on his face, and the comment that came out of his mouth, "Hey... Where's the _vroom?_"

I think Sirius nearly choked on his laughter, finally gasping a few minutes later, "Don't you worry. The _vroom_ is coming."

When he managed to calm down a bit more, the instruction continued, "There's two switches on the right handlebar. Go ahead and take a look. One is the start switch, and the other is the kill switch. Now, the engine won't start unless the kill switch is set to 'run', so go ahead and push it, Ivy." And I did. Nothing happened. I was starting to be lulled into a false sense of security.

"Next is the clutch," Sirius went on, settling my hands onto the handlebars with his over the top of them as he guided my actions, "It's this lever here on the left. You gotta squeeze it all the way down. Ya, good, kiddo. Just keep your hands like that. After that, we shift gears to neutral."

"See where my foot is?" He asked, gesturing to the peg-like thing his left foot was resting on, "That's the gear shift. To get the bike to neutral you have to kick down, like this." His comment was punctuated by a downward jerk of his foot, and then he went on, "You kick down to go to lower gears, and up to go to higher gears. Once you get the bike to first gear, you take it to neutral by lifting the lever up a little with your toe. If the green 'N' light here on instrument panel goes on, that means you've really gotten it into neutral, and we're ready to start."

"Wicked," Bill commented from behind us. I was freakin' terrified. Sirius just grinned against my neck as he once again laid his hands over mine to show what to do, "Ok, then we kick the side stand up, and make sure we're still holding the clutch down all the way. Got that, kiddo? Ya, great. Then put your thumb on the start switch, and press it down." I didn't want to, however, Sirius' thumb pressed mine into the switch, and the machine roared to life beneath me, making me squeak in surprise. Again, both of the insane jerks laughed at my reaction.

"Release the clutch, love. Good. Now, we would normally let it warm up for a bit," Sirius shouted over the engine, "But it's already warm from the ride over here, so we can just release the choke. Go ahead, Weasley." Bill fiddled around with the knob I'd pulled on earlier, and the engine speed decreased until it was at a low idle, which made me relax a bit... which was rather foolish. Sirius held my hands against the grips, and on the right slowly had me rotate the controls as he said, "This one's the throttle. You spin it towards yourself to make the bike go, and you release it slowly to make it slow down, combining that with braking when you need to stop." The engine roared loudly, then went back to the low hum as he went through the motion he described. I was beginning to panic.

"To actually make it move," Sirius said, once again manipulating my hands on the handlebars, "We hold down the clutch on the left, and the brake on the right, then shift to first gear, like this." With that, he once again kicked the gear lever, and then we were in first gear. "After that," He continued, picking his feet up from off the ground as he continued to guide my movements, "Let the clutch and brake out slow, and at the same time put on the throttle. Good, kiddo, good. Just steer her slow around the yard. You're doing great."

As surprising as it sounds, I actually was. I hadn't crashed, or blown anything up, and I was very slowly guiding the motorcycle around the big open space in front of the Potters' house. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Actually, it was kind of... cool.

I did a few very slow laps before Sirius finally taught me how to stop (the part that I had been most interested when we began this strange experiment) by depressing the clutch, releasing the throttle, and slowly putting on the brakes.

When we were finally came to a complete halt and the engine was shut off again, Sirius squeezed me around the waist and laid a big sloppy kiss on my cheek, shouting, "That was brilliant! You're a natural! I'm so proud of you, kiddo!" My face turned rather hot, but I was happy that I'd made Sirius proud of me. He swatted me lightly on the leg, instructing, "Alright, switch places with Bill, and I'll give him a turn, and then I'll teach you lot how to get out of first gear."

I jumped down and walked to the back, passing Bill on his journey to the front. He grinned hugely at me, so excited that he was physically twitching. I wasn't entirely sure that a twitchy boy should be allowed to drive a motorcycle, but I had gained some confidence that Sirius wouldn't let anything to go wrong, so I tried to put it out of my mind.

And Bill had definitely been paying attention, I'll give him that much. He knew the exact sequence of actions that were needed to start up the bike, fuel, choke, ignition, and so on. Soon enough, he was slowly doing laps around the yard (with Sirius' help, of course). Everything probably would've been fine if Lily hadn't decided to choose that moment to finally investigate what was going on in her front yard.

"WHAT IN MERLIN'S NAME DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Came in that ear-splitting screech she was so notorious for. It was so loud and shrill that we had absolutely no problem hearing it over the noise of the engine, and all three of us jumped. Bill the Amazing Twitchy Boy accidentally squeezed the throttle, and we shot off directly for Lily herself.

I screamed. Lily screamed. Bill screamed. Sirius screamed at Bill to let go of the throttle, but, for some odd reason, he didn't. Instead, he pulled back hard on the handlebars. Big mistake. That happens to be how you make the damn thing fly.

Right before we almost squashed Lily against her house, the front wheel of the bike suddenly left the ground and we shot straight up into the air, the bike turning completely vertical. I almost got thrown off it, but luckily managed to stay seated by practically squeezing Sirius in half around his waist.

When we were finally so far into the sky that the house was just a speck below us (not that I was looking, seeing as my face was buried in Sirius' back), Lily's angry screaming was almost inaudible, and the air had gotten cold and thin, Sirius finally managed to get control back from Billy. By the time he leveled us out again, he was laughing.

"Woo," He chuckled as he slowly brought us down, "Quite a ride, Weasley, but I think you might need a little more practice." I was still stubbornly refusing to let go of Sirius, or to uncover my eyes, so the ground was a surprise to me when we finally hit it. I gave a small whimper, and buried my face further into the back of Sirius' jacket.

"Relax, kiddo," He scolded lightly as he shut the engine off, "It wasn't that bad. Prongs nearly flattened us both on the front of one of those muggle airplanes the first time I let him drive."

"WHICH IS EXACTLY WHY YOU SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWING TWO _CHILDREN _TO OPERATE THAT HORRIBLE CONTRAPTION!" Lily shrieked as she came running towards us. She tried to grab me off the back, but I still would not let go of Sirius' so she had a bit of a problem. I peaked one eye out just in time to see Sirius pick Bill up off the front and set him down on the ground, allowing Lily to frantically fuss over him.

"I'm ok, Mrs. Potter," Bill said with a _huge_ (much too huge for 'almost just died,' in my opinion) grin on his face, "It was SO COOL! We must've been a billion miles in the air! Wait 'til I tell Charlie!" Lily merely scowled at him, and I tuned out for the slight tongue-lashing that came next.

"Alright, kiddo?" Sirius asked as he ignored Lily's lecture, gently untangled my arms, and swung me around so I was seated on his lap. He smiled, petting my hair affectionately back from my face as he asked, "Didn't scare you too bad, did we?"

I looked up at him, wide-eyed and still slightly amazed that I was still alive, and then I shook my head, hugged him tightly around his middle, and buried my face in his chest. His laugh made my whole body hum as he wrapped his strong arms around me.

xxXxx

"Helmets?" Sirius asked, clearly confused as he opened the birthday present Lily had given him, "What do I need with helmets?"

She scowled, "You're meant to wear them, and to make Ivy and the twins wear them so that none of you splatters your brains while you're riding that insane, ridiculous contraption of yours!" He still seemed confused, looking over the shiny black protective gear as he muttered, "Gee... Thanks... Just what I wanted for my birthday, helmet-hair..."

The redhead huffed indignantly, and responded, "Just make sure the kids wear them. I'm making it a rule!" Sirius opened his mouth to argue what I assume was something along the lines of 'who made you boss?' however, James decided to save his friend from a series of nasty jinxes, and clasped a hand over his mouth. "Just go with it, mate," He said, "Can't argue with that one- EEEEWWWWW! HE LICKED MY HAND!"

After we all had a very good laugh at James' rather comic flailing about the room in search of antiseptic as he declared that his hand was now infected, the small group that had remained at the Potters' house, James, Lily, Remus, Gideon, Fabian, and Bill, settled down once again to continue opening the presents that had been left for Sirius and I.

"Ivy's turn again!" Gideon declared loudly as he tossed a few packages my way, "The purple one's from me and Fabe, and the red ones from Molly, Arthur, and the kids." I was really amazed by just how many presents I was receiving. I had already opened about ten books, and a host of small toys. The getting presents on my birthday thing was like... fun. I'd almost forgotten how fun.

I opened the purple one from the Prewett twins first (to the sounds of their light-hearted demands that I actually rip the paper, though I still didn't). The contents of the package confused me greatly, but I figured it out in just a few moments when Sirius shouted indignantly, "Makeup?"

"Ya," Fabian laughed, sprawled comfortably on the couch, "We couldn't really think of anything else to get a little girl." Tying a discarded yellow ribbon into his hair, Gideon snickered from the floor in front of the couch and added, "And we figured Black's reaction would be _priceless._" Indeed, Sirius looked like he was fuming, but he didn't say a word; he didn't have to because Lily remarked sternly, "I think eleven is a little young for makeup, you two."

"Aw, don't be such a kill-joy, Evans!" Fabian teased, sailing a wrapping-paper airplane into the back of Judy's head, then laughing like mad as it attacked my poor confused sister (it was apparently bewitched). That didn't last too long though, because Judy caught it, hurled it to the ground, and then viciously stomped it to death... Sometimes, she's a _real_ psycho...

Anyways, her little anger episode successfully distracted the adults from the 'should Ivy have makeup?' discussion. Personally, I could've cared less about the stuff. It's not like I even knew how to use it. And then Bill giggled, "Ivy, open the other one!"

And so I did. And it was a thick, ivy-green sweater that looked just my size. "Aw," Gideon commented, having mostly turned his attention toward taunting Judy by making her jump for a piece of candy she wanted (I knew the poor man was mere seconds away from being kicked in the shin, but didn't know how to warn him), "Looks like Molly knitted you a jumper. I love her jumpers- OW!"

See, I'm never wrong. And, as he sat nursing his bruised shin while Judy ran off to devour the chocolate she'd snatched up, Fabian laughed, "Ya, I know. Molly's jumpers are the best. They're so warm and cuddly..."

Everyone stared blankly. It was rather odd to hear such a gruff, manly man use the word _cuddly_ in any context. He scowled, "Oh, sod off!"

"Here, Padfoot," Remus insisted, thrusting a small package at Sirius, "Open mine next." Sirius grinned like a little kid on Christmas morning as he excitedly shredded the wrapping paper to a fine confetti, "Aw, Moony, you shouldn't have!"

And then he found himself gazing confusedly at a bright yellow book entitled _Fatherhood for Dummies._ "You really shouldn't have..." He joked deadpan, "You calling me a dummy?"

"I don't know why you even bothered giving him a book, Remus," Lily commented, snatching the literature from Sirius' hands and reading the back cover, "It's not like he's _ever_ going to actually _read it_."

"HEY!" Sirius shouted, snatching the book right back. For a moment, he looked like he was going to argue, but then thought better of it, and instead said, "Well, ok, that may be true, but I can always just have Ivy read it for me and tell me what it's about."

"I think it might be one of those scary stories," James mused, taking the book and looking it over, though I don't think he actually read any part of it either, "You know, like all the father's get turned into zombie dummies by an evil wizard." Remus dropped his head into his hands, groaning softly, massaging his temples, and looking like he was going to laugh, or cry, or both.

"Really?" Sirius asked, once again grabbing for the book, looking like he was warming to the idea, "That sounds cool! Like voodoo! And all the zombie dummies walk the streets, sucking the brains of the living!" It was at that point that both James and Sirius got up from their seats and began slowly limping around the room in a zombie-like fashion, moaning, and wailing, and chasing after Harry and Noah, who were rather frightened by the whole display. The both of them fled upstairs to the nursery.

"James!" Lily scolded, having a very hard time keeping herself from laughing, "Stop that! Don't scare them! If Harry has nightmares, you two are the ones who are going to be sitting up with him! And don't think I won't come and drag you out of your bed, Black!"

"RAAAARRHHH! BRAAAAAAAIIIIINNNNNSSSSS!" James responded, tackling Lily to the floor, jokingly trying to bite her head as she squealed and made a few half-hearted attempts to shove him off. The rest of us were just cracking up, and I think it might possibly have been one of the cutest, funniest, absolute sweetest things I've ever seen.

"Here's another one for you, Ivy," Bill shouted, handing over a box wrapped in pink and white paper, "It says it's from James." I was rather confused, "But I already got one from him and Lily." They'd gotten me the complete set of the seven books of the Chronicles of Narnia, which I had already made plans to read through with Bill.

"No," James cut in, momentarily abandoning his zombie-ness as he explained, "That one was just from Lily. We don't give joint presents because we have... uh... _differing opinions_.

"Differing opinions my arse!" She piped up, "You gave my parents magical sex toys for their anniversary and put on the card that it was from the both of us!" James grinned down at his pinned wife, and then went back into zombie mode and began trying to suck her brains once again. Sirius took a seat behind me on the floor, settling me between his legs as he joked, "Those two are long gone. Just go ahead and open it. James always gives great presents." Of course, his entire basis for thinking so was that James had apparently given him a large box full of explosive devices on every birthday since he was eleven, that one being no exception... boys...

So, I opened it, and inside was something I didn't really expect to see. "A dress?" I asked in confusion, holding it up gingerly. It was a pink and white checkered sundress. And it was sickeningly cute. James grinned at me from where he was sitting on Lily's back, ignoring her struggling and protests, "Thought you'd look pretty in it."

"Aw," Sirius cooed, picking up the small, delicate bit of fabric in his massive hands, "I bet she will. Go try it on, love!" He then picked me up from the ground, set me on my feet, thrust the dress into my hands, and gave me a small push in the direction of the bathroom. There was no arguing with that.

Of course, after I'd stripped off my clothes and was just about to pull the dress over my head, a clanging noise from underneath the sink made me jump, and I smacked my head on a towel bar. That hurt, and I was knocked a little stupid for a few minutes. Luckily, I didn't hit the gash. Turns out, Judy picked the cupboard under the bathroom sink in which to hole herself up and devour her ill-gotten chocolate.

"Judith Harper Sennen," I scolded after I finally got the dress on and managed to pry the cupboard open, "Get out of there. What are you doing?" She scowled up at me, chocolate covering her little face as she snapped, "I'm hiding."

I sighed, smiling softly as I knelt down in front of her, "And _why_ are you hiding?"

Completely ignoring my question, she fixed me with a very calculating stare. You know, that popular girl stare? The one where they eye you up and down, taking in every detail of your whole body and making you feel horribly uncomfortable because you know that they're probably about to crush your spirit with something mean and spiteful? Even as a toddler, my sister could wield that look like a weapon.

"You _almost_ look like a girl again," She finally reported snappishly. Now, I know some of you might think me overly-sensitive to have been affected by such a barb, but I was. Really, I've always been self-conscious (it probably comes from getting picked on and beaten so much), and hearing that from my sister just made things worse.

I paused briefly to take a long hard look at myself in the mirror over the sink. It was true that wearing a pink dress did seem to put all questions of my gender to rest. I was kind of cute. But James' taste was very different than that of Sirius, who had been picking my clothes since I arrived to stay with him. Sirius knew about the scars on my back, and, sensing that I didn't want them seen, he gave me clothes that covered them. James was unaware, and the dress had an open back. My scars were clearly visible.

They were faded, healing as much as they could, but they would always be there. If I walked out into the living room, they would be right out in the open.

But I couldn't just _not_ go out, not after James had been so thoughtful in giving me the present in the first place. It would be really rude.

I decided that I'd just have to try to keep my back from everyone. I could do that.

Looking down at Judy once more, I saw that she had a smug expression on her face, like she knew that her little comment had affected me. It was only through my great personal restraint that I was able to keep from smacking her upside the head as I wrangled her out from underneath the sink and dragged her little ass back to the living room.

A collective "Awww..." issued from all the adults in the room, their eyes going dreamy as I blushed uncomfortably. I barely even noticed Judy escaping my grasp and fleeing upstairs, presumably to torture Noah and Harry.

"You're _adorable_, kiddo!" Sirius beamed happily. A few seconds later, Fabian agreed, "Ya, quite a cutie..." A devilish smirk crossed his face, and then he elbowed his open-mouthed nephew as he asked, "What do you think, Bill?"

"Uh..." The young redhead gaped, staring dumbly and seeming at a complete loss for words. Such a thing didn't happen often to my chatty friend, and I felt myself smiling as I savored the moment.

"Purty..." He finally stammered, his face bright red. And, no, I'm not a loser who can't spell. That's what he said, _purty_. To this day, it's still the nicest thing anyone has ever mispronounced at me.

I laughed, really feeling very _purty_ for the first time in quite awhile. James and Lily's comments added to that feeling, his a lengthy and rather poetic confession of my beauty, and hers a lot more general, but the fact that she didn't make any remarks about getting me a "proper haircut" spoke volumes. Remus said some nice things as well, all of it contributing to a much needed boost in my self-esteem.

But it all went to hell when it came to Gideon's turn. He meant well. He couldn't have known. "Come closer, gorgeous, where everyone can see you better," He instructed happily, grabbing my arm and spinning me into the center of the room before I could stop him, twirling me around like a dancer. A protest of "No! Wait! Stop!" had barely left my mouth when I heard Bill gasp, "Ivy! What happened to your back?"

Gideon stopped the spinning, leaving me standing face-to-face with Bill. He wore a look of utter horror, and I felt like a sideshow freak.

And then I heard James and Lily gasp, and realized they could see my back. I quickly turned away from them, but that allowed Remus and Fabian full views. I kept turning, trying to escape the eyes on me, but all I managed to do in my panic was give everyone several good looks at the damage on my young body. I was frozen with shame and terror and disgust. I wanted to melt into the floor because I would always be scarred and ugly. I'd never escape what happened to me.

Gentle hands closed around my slim hips, easing me backwards, pulling me down. It was Sirius, and he lowered me carefully into his lap, wrapping his arms around me, hiding my scars from view. I couldn't meet anyone's eyes, staring down at his arms.

I saw that he'd taken off his leather jacket, something he almost never did around people, no matter the weather. He had scars on his arms, too, just like mine. He had put them on display. He did it so I didn't have to feel so alone, so ugly. It was a show of solidarity that meant the world to me.

"Alright, kiddo?" He whispered into my ear, his chin resting on my shoulder as he hugged me tightly, watching my face as I hesitantly touched a jagged defensive wound near his wrist.

He'd been hurt, like I had, and he was alright. He was still good-looking, and smart, and funny, and he had lots of friends. Maybe I could never escape what happened to me, but maybe I didn't have to be ashamed of it either. Sirius wasn't ashamed. He wasn't afraid.

I nodded slowly, beginning to understand that the scars and abuse would always be a part of me, but they didn't define me, and didn't own me, and wouldn't make anyone who was worth half a damn in the first place hate me. I was alright.

"Good," Sirius muttered, one of his long arms shooting out to grab another colorfully wrapped package as he instructed, "Open more presents then. I think this one's another book, so it should put that brilliant smile back on your face." The smile was there before I even began to carefully unwrap the paper.

xxXxx

Later, I was lying in the grass outside the Potter's house, cloud-watching with Bill. I had the sweater his mother knitted me on over James' dress, and was slightly nervous in the uncomfortable silence that had thus far elapsed between my friend and me.

Bill hadn't said a word since his outburst over my scars, but he'd followed me outside and laid down beside me. I didn't know what he was playing at, and he had a very contemplative look on his freckled face.

Sighing, I tucked my arms behind my head, and puffed a stray lock of brown hair out of my eyes. I was just hoping he wasn't quiet because he was thinking of a way to break the news that he never wanted to look at me again. I really liked having Bill as a friend, and losing him then would've been hard to deal with.

"Are they from the cave falling in on you?" He finally blurted out, refusing to look at me even though I slowly rolled over on my side to face him. Stubbornly continuing to stare straight up into the clouds, he continued, "If they are, I'm really, _really_ sorry. I didn't know that you got so hurt, and I didn't mean for it to happen. It was my fault. I'm kind of scared of bugs, and you said one was in my hair, and then I yelled, and that's why it caved in. I'm sorry."

Bless his little heart. "They aren't from the cave-in. I had them before that," I informed him gently, my voice quiet and my expression blank.

The boy breathed a sigh of relief, scratching at his short red hair before finally rolling onto his side to face me. His eyes were greener than the grass, a dark, piercing shade that reminded me of ivy leaves. It's odd, but it made me feel like I could see myself reflected in his eyes. I liked that feeling.

He put on a crooked, slightly uncomfortable grin as he went on, "Oh, well, ok. I'm glad it wasn't my fault then. I'd feel pretty horrible for hurting you..."

I knew what he was going to ask next even before he asked it. "So..." He muttered, rising slightly so that he could prop his head up on one hand, "If they aren't from the cave-in, then... what did you get them from?"

"I'll tell you another time," I stated softly, gazing at him and then shyly looking away, picking a blade of grass to fiddle with, "It's a long story." I glanced up briefly and found that he was still grinning in that sweet, open way he had, and I couldn't help blushing. He nodded, responding instantly, "Ok. I guess whenever you're ready to tell me."

I smiled, stating, "Thanks, Billy." I knew I had a real friend, my first one, and I loved it.

"OY! WILLIAM!" One of the Prewett twins shouting broke us out of our conversation, the both of us sitting up to find the pair of them closing in fast. Gideon arrived first, a gigantic smile splitting his rugged features as he immediately grabbed Bill by the ankle and effortlessly plucked him off the ground, holding the wriggling boy upside down.

"We've gotta go!" He shouted happily, swinging his squirming, giggling nephew from side-to-side. Upon hearing that he was leaving, however, Bill began to pout, asking sadly, "How come?"

"Because your mum's having the baby!" Fabian informed him happily, snatching the boy from his twin and throwing him over his shoulder, "The big brothers of the family _have_ to be there for her just in case she decides to throw your dad out of the room again. Now, say goodbye to your ickle girlfriend, and we'll be on our way."

_"Girlfriend?"_ I mentally gaped, watching as Bill's face flushed red, and he waved sheepishly at me. "Um, bye, Ivy," He muttered, sounding a little embarrassed, "I'll send you an owl, and, um, you should come over to play again soon."

"Ok," I answered blankly, feeling my own blush spread all the way to my hairline as I waved back, "Bye, Bill."

Gideon and Fabian ran away giggling, Bill still waving from where he was slung over Fabian's shoulder. And then, with a loud POP POP they were all gone. I laid down into the grass, on my back again, staring up at the clouds. There was only one thought on my mind: _"Girlfriend?"_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ta da! Hope you enjoyed it, kiddies!

I have a theory: Reviews will help me greatly in remembering what the fuck I did last night, why my jaw is bruised, and how my hand got burned. Contribute to the cause, people!

Sorry about the problems I have getting this one out. Fanfiction was majorly spazzing on me.


	11. Part 11: Lost and Found

Part 11 - Lost and Found

Ginevra Molly Weasley was born at eleven o'clock in the morning on May 21st, 1981. Bill sent me an ecstatic owl about fifteen minutes later, relating in his sloping, almost illegible handwriting that he had a baby sister, that her hair was red and her eyes were brown, and that she had freckles already and yelled an awful lot. I was happy for him, and found it oddly endearing that the tendency he had to ramble when he spoke also seemed to apply to his writing.

After reading the letter while standing at the open window that was flooding sunlight into the kitchen, I gave the scruffy brown owl who delivered it a treat and a pat on the head, then went to find Sirius and tell him the good news.

He was sitting at the top of the staircase with Noah and Judy, helping Noah stack his counting blocks on the ledge, then laughing like a little kid when Judy ran and kicked them all down the steps. I smiled, not even caring that a staircase probably wasn't a great place for two toddlers to be playing. I knew Sirius wouldn't let anything happen to them.

The doorbell rang, and, being the closest, I ran immediately to answer, chiming brightly, "I'll get it!" All I got in reply from Sirius was another laugh at the antics of the twins.

A tall woman with pale skin, black hair, and an extremely severe expression was standing, straight-backed and proud, on the other side of the door. She wore a slightly-outdated black dress that looked to be right out of the Victorian era, high starched collar and all.

Beside her stood a young man who was also dressed in a Victorian-looking, pressed black suit. He was shorter than the woman, but still fairly tall, with long black hair restrained by a staunch white bow tied at the nape of his neck. Those same sharp features I saw on the lady, high cheekbones and cold slate eyes, peered down at me from his pale face.

They both smiled at me, but they had horrible smiles, vicious quirks of their thin lips that sent shivers down my spine.

Never one to be rude, I smiled weakly back, greeting pleasantly, "Hello. Can I help you?"

"Oh my, such a pretty little pixie," The woman cooed, her voice soft but somehow threatening as she reached forward with bony, frigid fingers to gently cup my face. Too frightened to even move, I just stared up at her with wide eyes, barely breathing as she remarked to the young man "It is no wonder the families want her so badly. She will make some lucky wizard a very lovely wife one day. Don't you think so, Regulus?"

"Yes, Mother," He replied simply, his hands folded neatly behind his back, his expression slightly bored, restless.

The woman turned back to me, still smiling in that sickly sweet way she had as she inquired, "How old are you, child?"

"IVY! GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR!!" It was Sirius shouting, sounding panicked and angry, and I could hear him running frantically down the stairs. In just a split second, he grabbed me away from the woman, hiding me behind his back as he glared at both the visitors on his doorstep. It was then that I realized how much he looked like them... especially when he was scowling...

"Mother," He spat curtly, "Regulus. What are you doing here? I'm dead to you, or have you forgotten already?"

The smile melted off of the woman's face and she stood a bit straighter before snapping, "I came in the hopes that I could talk some sense into you." She picked her chin up to look over Sirius' shoulder, fixing her gaze on the twins as she announced, "These children do not belong to you. I can not fathom what you hope to accomplish by keeping them, but I assure you it will not work. The Kasen's destroyed their legal chances when that stupid Gabriel hit the girl, but the Nenmoi's still have a legitimate claim. For once in your worthless life, do the _smart_ thing. Give them up before this gets out of hand."

I could see the muscles in Sirius' jaw working compulsively as he gnawed on the inside of his mouth. He was worried, and I was suddenly scared. What this woman was saying was true, but I didn't want to be sent away to live with my mom's family. They were bad people; my mom and dad left the wizarding world, left their wholes lives behind just to get away from them, to keep me and my siblings safe from them. If we were sent back, it would've all been for nothing.

I suddenly found myself willing to do whatever it took in order to fulfill my parents' wishes.

"We don't want to go with them," I stated meekly, gathering up my courage to look around Sirius and into the hostile face of the woman on the doorstep. "We like it here," I continued, "With Sirius. My momma and daddy didn't want us living with those people. That's why they ran away."

The woman sneered down at me, her upper lip curling like she could smell something foul. "Do not speak unless spoken to," She ordered sharply, her gaze sweeping back to Sirius as she ranted, "You are already spreading to them! Such insolence! It is a crime! I will not have you doing anything more to corrupt those pure of blood! Merlin knows we have enough threats from the half-breeds and mudbloods, we don't need heretics like you poisoning our ranks!"

"Shut up, Mother!" Sirius shrieked, his face flushing red, his gray eyes growing cold, "Ivy is smart, and she's allowed to speak whenever she damn well feels like it! You're wasting your time here! I'm not giving these kids up without one hell of a fight!!"

The woman gathered herself up so that she stood a few inches higher, looking down her nose at the both of us as she hissed, "I can see you are just as stubborn and unreasonable as ever. Very well. When you are suffering for these stupid choices, remember that you were warned."

"And when you're rotting in hell," Sirius shot back, a cruel smirk beginning to twist the corner of his lips, "Remember that I'm the one who wished you there."

With a curt _hmph_, the woman finally turned away, stalking primly down the path as she called, "Come, Regulus. Remaining in your brother's presence too long is hazardous to one's sensibilities."

The young man, sighed almost inaudibly, giving Sirius a deep, apologetic, slightly pleading look as he mouthed, "_Sorry_." He then turned, walking stiffly as he followed the woman and called, "Yes, Mother."

Sirius watched them until they were at the end of the stone path, until they were off his property and apparated away with a pair of small pops. Then he brutally slammed the door and gave out a furious snarl, ranting and raving as he paced the entryway, "The _nerve_ of that damn woman, showing up out of the blue like that!! Trying to _talk some sense into me!!_ I'll show her sense! Bloody old HAG!! I'll shove a large stick of sense right up her wrinkled old arse!!"

It continued on like that for quite some time. I'm sure you all can use your imaginations for the rest.

"Sirius," I finally called, my small, shaking voice breaking him out of his tirade. He turned to me, blinking a few times as he took in my wide eyes and trembling body. Then, just like that, he was crossing the room to scoop me up into his strong arms.

"Don't let them take us!" I pleaded hysterically, near tears as I clutched him tightly around the neck. Breathing deeply as he slowly rocked me, Sirius responded, "I won't, love. Don't you worry. I promise no one is taking you anywhere..."

xxXxx

Despite the fact that Sirius' promise made me worry a lot less, I didn't understand how he was actually going to be able to follow through on it. To tell the truth, I don't think he knew either.

But he was determined to figure it out. After all, he'd promised.

He was very, very, unusually, almost disturbingly quiet over the next two weeks or so as he brooded over the answer to the dilemma. He spent a lot of time pacing the living room after he thought I'd gone to sleep, and sometimes just staring into space for hours at a time. I tried not to let the strange behavior disturb me too much.

But he did think of something.

One night, I was playing blocks with Noah on the floor in his room and Judy managed to slip away unseen. Since it was her new favorite hobby, she decided that she'd rifle through my things for some fun. She found my photo albums, which contain all the pictures I managed to salvage from our broken little family.

Neither of the twins had seen them before. I know that may seem a little odd, but, for as smart as they were, they were still just babies. They weren't even a year old yet. I just wasn't sure that they would understand if I told them about what happened. Noah was so sensitive and Judy, for all her tough exterior, really was deeply affected by loss. She also had a tendency towards anger and frustration. I was always planning on telling them someday, just not that day or any day soon. I wanted to wait until they were older, until there was a better chance that they would... understand.

However, that's not how things worked out.

Upon finding the photo albums at the bottom of one of my drawers, Judy began pouring over the pictures. She realized that she'd found something special after looking at only a few pages, shutting the two old green books and hefting them down the hall.

"Ivy," She said softly, gathering my attention from Noah and his counting blocks. I turned and smiled, but that quickly faded when I saw what she had in her arms.

My little sister didn't let my reaction deter her quest for answers, her favorite motorcycle pajamas--the ones Sirius had bought for Noah but she'd claimed--clinging to her thin legs as she took a few bold steps towards me and offered out the thick albums. They were almost too much for her little arms to take, bigger than most of the rest of her. "What're these?" She asked inquisitively.

"Those are our photo albums," I stated softly as I took them, making sure to say 'our' and not 'my' because, really, they belonged to all three of us. The twins might have even had more of a claim because they didn't have the memories like I did; pictures were all they were ever going to get of parents who loved them.

"Oh," She countered, climbing into my lap, "Who are the pictures of?"

Noah was curious by that time, pushing Judy slightly to make room for himself beside her in my lap as he ran his hands over the worn green cover of the first book. "Is it a stowy?" He inquired sweetly, turning his big brown eyes up on me as he played with his toes inside the fuzzy blue feetie pajamas he loved.

I fought down the tightness in my throat, a bitter smile coming across my face as I answered wistfully, "Sort of. But it's very sad. Maybe I should tell you the story when you get older."

"But I wanna hear it now!" Judy insisted, pouting up at me, blonde curls fallen into her wide blue eyes, "Please?" And then I had both twins pleading at me with identical, utterly heart-melting expressions. I cracked. "Ok," I heard myself agreeing, the rational part of my brain screaming at me to stop as I opened up to the first page of the first book, "It all started with a boy named Noah Kasen and a girl named Rose Nenmoi..."

I told my brother and sister the long, tragic story of how our family came together and how it was torn apart. They took it a lot better than I expected them to. They didn't cry. They just had a lot of innocent questions I wasn't sure how to answer.

"What happens when you die?" Judy wanted to know, deep in thought as she fidgeted with the dog-eared corner of a picture of our daddy as a very young man standing on the beach and kissing baby me on the cheek as we posed with a sandcastle I didn't remember building. "You go to heaven," I told her plainly, the statement leaving my mouth with no forethought at all because the idea still gave me comfort.

"What's that?" Noah asked, staring at a picture of our parents cuddling on the couch in our old apartment, happy smiles on both their faces. "It's..." I wavered, unsure, "It's just a good place... it's peaceful and nothing bad ever happens there."

Nodding speculatively, Judy pressed, "And that's where Daddy is?" I nodded in return, hugging both twins compulsively because looking at those pictures was a reminder that they, like everything else in my life, could be taken from me without warning. "Yes," I told my sister, "Daddy is in heaven. He watches over us."

_"At least I hope he does..."_ I added silently to myself, sniffling sadly.

"Whewe's Momma?" Noah wanted to know, instantly bringing that high, tight lump back to my throat. The other questions were hard; that one was just impossible.

"I-I don't know," I said frankly. I really didn't. I wished I did.

"She's not dead, too, is she?" Judy asked, turning the page to find one of my favorite pictures of my mom, one where she's just smiling happily at the camera on a bright day, her gold curls highlighted with sunshine. "No," I stated, hoping futilely that that the conversation would stop. It was torture.

"Then how come she's not with us?" Noah demanded, scowling slightly at the very same picture, seeming to be growing confused and angry. He wasn't supposed to be that way. He was sweet little Noah; anything but a smile just seemed _wrong_ on him.

I thought for a few moments on what I should say. Lying never crossed my mind because they didn't deserve that, but the truth was just... I still had a hard time with the truth. The truth was devastating: she didn't want us anymore.

So I stretched the truth a bit, not a lie, just sugar-coating. Just so Noah wouldn't frown like he was.

"After Daddy died, she got very sad," I explained, unconsciously tightening my grip on the pair, resting my head on top of Noah's shaggy brown locks, "So sad that she got sick and she couldn't take care of us anymore."

"Was it the flu?" Judy questioned, wrinkling her nose in disbelief, "Like you had? Cuz you couldn't take care of us when you were sick, but you got better. Will she get better?"

"I don't know," I said, trying hard to keep my voice even, "Maybe someday, but I don't think so. It's not like the flu. It's... different." Holding a hand over each of their hearts, I explained, "She's sick in here... and that doesn't ever go away..."

We sat for another few moments in silence before Noah chirped, "But we should find her. We can visit, and bwing her chicken soup, like Siwius gave you when you were sick. That made you bettaw."

It was taking everything in me not to cry--because I _do not_ cry--as I answered, "I'm sorry, No, but chicken soup won't work on this. And, besides, I don't know where she is."

"Well," Judy demanded, sounding bossy and slightly excited, "Where did you lose her?"

"Santa Monica," I supplied quietly, my expression growing blank as I remembered those painful months I spent watching my mother break down. With a clear hint of _duh_ in her voice, my sister announced, "Then that's where we should look! Jeez, Ivy, you're dumb sometimes!"

"Hey!" I chuckled, smiling weakly as I gave her side a light pinch, "Watch it, shrimp! Now, come on. It's bedtime."

"Awww..." The twins groaned together, pouting at me in an effort to avoid sleep for a little longer. I was impassive, however, commanding, "You heard me. Go brush your teeth." Huffing as they resigned themselves to the decision, they scrambled off my lap and padded quickly out of the room, chirping, "Hi, Sirius," "Hi, Siwius," as they left.

Still seated on the floor, I turned around to find Sirius leaning up against the doorjamb, a deep, thoughtful expression on his handsome face. I smiled weakly, greeting, "Hi... I didn't know you were there."

"I know," He answered, walking in and sitting beside me, putting an arm around my shoulders, "I didn't want to interrupt."

I leaned into the embrace, sighing heavily. For awhile, we sat in silence, but Sirius was the one who finally broke it, stating, "You did great, kiddo... really."

"Thanks," I responded quietly, just in time for Noah and Judy to come running back into the room, to come running up to me and smile big, toothy smiles for inspection. After I gave both their brushing jobs my seal of approval, after their goodnight kisses, Sirius helped me tuck them in.

Before I even shut the door behind us, I could hear the pair begin whispering furiously in their made up language. Despite the fact that I never understood what they were saying when they lapsed into their twin-speak, I nevertheless knew exactly what they were talking about: Momma, Daddy, our story. I still wasn't sure if I'd done the right thing by telling them.

In the hallway, Sirius gave me a weak smile, inquiring softly, "You ok, kiddo?"

Nodding slowly and staring off into space as I hugged my photo albums to my chest, I responded, "Ya, I'm fine... it's just... nothing..."

"Alright," Sirius agreed, sounding very skeptical and unbelieving about my answer, following me as I walked down the hall to my room and stashed the books back in the bottom of one of my drawers.

He was standing there waiting for me when I came out, still seeming like he was thinking hard. After a few moments, he grinned, slinging an arm around my shoulders as we walked towards the stairs. "I've got something important I have to do tomorrow," He announced brightly, "What do you think about going to meet my cousins? Andromeda is my age but she's got a daughter who's a few years younger than you, Nymphadora. They're both really sweet."

"Sure," I agreed, a little bit lost in thought as we descended the stairs, heading for the living room and our nightly ritual of a few games of pool.

"And you know what else would be fun?" Sirius mused out loud, carrying the conversation completely, "If I wrote to Molly and asked if Bill and Charlie can come, too. She probably could use a few kids taken off her hands, what with the new baby and all, and Nympadora is Charlie's age. If I remember correctly, she even has a bit of a crush on him."

"Ok," I agreed, actually conjuring a small smile at the thought of getting to see my friend. It would be fun...

"Great!" Sirius beamed, seeming thrilled that he'd made me happy, handing me the shorter cue as he racked the balls on the pool table, "I'll just write her after you go to bed, love. For now, let's see if tonight's the night you finally manage to beat the master..."

It wasn't...

xxXxx

In the morning, Sirius piled the twins and me onto his motorcycle, and we went on a long drive across the English countryside. I liked it; the scenery was green and pretty and I didn't even mind riding the machine affectionately referred to as Scarlet anymore. It was still a little scary, but I'd gotten used to flying so it wasn't that bad. And Sirius had given me a few more driving lessons, as well as taught me how to take apart and put together the whole contraption. Once I understood how the bike worked, it wasn't nearly as terrifying.

Eventually, we touched down outside a nice brick cottage in the middle of a big meadow filled with wildflowers. Almost immediately, a little blue-haired girl came running out of the cottage and right for us. She was wearing a bright orange tank top and raggedy faded jean overall shorts. Her face was sweet and heart-shaped, and her bare limbs were so long and gangly they looked like she would never completely grow into them.

She reached us right about the time Sirius cut the bike's engine, hurling herself into his arms as she squealed, "Sirius!! Sirius!! Sirius!!"

"Oof!" He grunted, laughing as he hugged his little niece, "Wotcher, Dora? Miss me much?"

"Only a whole bunch!" The girl responded, flashing him a bright, bubbly smile, "I'm sorry we didn't come to your birthday party. We had to visit my Grandma and Grandpa Tonks because it was their anniversary. It was boring though. Everybody was old and there was no one for me to play with!"

As he set the girl down on the ground and unloaded Noah and Judy from the bike, Sirius happily responded, "No worries, love. I ended up arrested anyways. And besides, I brought you someone to play with today!" He turned to grin at me over his shoulder, prompting, "Go on and introduce yourself, kiddo. Dora won't bite. Not after she broke off a tooth in my ankle. That was rather unpleasant for both of us, I think."

Slightly disturbed by the strange story--unsure of whether or not I should believe it--I nodded sheepishly. I was uneasy, like I always am about meeting new people. I scrambled off the back of the bike, clutching the second one of the Narnia books--_Prince Caspian_--tightly as I carefully straightened my pink sundress. It was the one James had given me for my birthday. I thought I was cute in it and now that I had figured out that wearing a white t-shirt beneath the frock hid my scars, it was perfect.

Smiling shyly as I pointed out the twins, I stated, "Hi, I'm Ivy, and this is Noah and Judy. It's nice to meet you."

"You, too!" The girl beamed, bouncing excitedly on the balls of her bare, dusty feet, "My name's Nymphadora, but you can call me Dora or Tonks, like my Da."

"Ok," I agreed, blushing slightly and rather uncomfortable. She seemed nice enough, I've just never been good with making friends. I'm odd and antisocial.

Luckily, Noah and Judy are outgoing and almost completely fearless, and both of them stepped forward. "Hi!" Noah stated, happily grinning, "Your hair is cool! I like blue!"

"Thanks!" Dora returned proudly. After a moment, she smirked and inquired, "Wanna see something _really_ cool?" Noah nodded like a bobble-head doll, and Dora shut her eyes, screwing up her face in concentration.

A second later, her hair began to blend from light powder blue into dark royal blue. I was open-mouthed and speechless.

"Wow!" Noah gasped, sounding absolutely amazed. Stuck between jealousy and awe, Judy contributed, "How come you can do that without a wand? Everybody else needs a wand to magic stuff!"

"Cuz," Dora announced proudly, "I'm a metamorphamagus. I can change the way I look any time I want." Pouting, Judy argued, "But that's not fair! I wanna be a morph-thingie!"

Suddenly wearing a look of helplessness, the blue-haired girl responded, "Er... sorry, but you have to be born one. That's just how it works."

"But-" Judy wasn't about to let it go, so I stepped forward, shushing her with a stern glance. She frowned at me, folding her thin arms across her chest and huffing grumpily as she tossed blonde curls over her shoulder.

"Alright, guys," Sirius chided sweetly as he began to heard us inside, "Come on. I've got to say hi to Romi and Ted before I leave." We all walked off into the house, with Judy still sulking while Dora and Noah chatted brightly. I stuck pretty close to Sirius' side.

Andromeda was tall and very pretty, with long, dark auburn hair tied back at the nape of her neck. She had wide blue eyes and an even wider smile, dimples and laugh lines all included. She shook my hand and said it was very nice to meet me before telling me to call her Auntie Romi.

Her husband was a blonde, and just as sweet. He was shorter than her, but by no means a shrimp, and had the same kind, infectious personality, pulling me into a big hug the moment he met me with instructions to call him Uncle Teddy. He joked that the twins and I were probably the only nieces and nephews he was every going to get, at least that he'd be allowed to interact with. I guess the Tonks' were yet another branch of Sirius' family that was shunned by the rest.

Sirius hugged us all tightly before he left, me the longest, ruffling my short hair as he grinned and instructed, "Have lots of fun, kiddo. I'll be back tonight to pick you up."

"Bye," I murmured, still clinging to my book like it was a shield. Dora grinned at me and suggested, "We can go play in the backyard until Bill and Charlie get here." Her pretty brown eyes took on a faraway look as she added, "I can't wait to see Charlie!" I hadn't really believed Sirius when he told me about her apparent fascination with Charlie, but I was starting to as she led me out into the backyard babbling about how great he was the whole way. Noah and Judy wandered about, giggling to each other in their made up language and occasionally pausing to wrestle in the high grass.

We were outside for about thirty minutes before the boys showed up, and Dora was trying to talk me through quidditch so that we could play a game. I wasn't too thrilled. First of all, I didn't understand how anyone could play a sport while flying, and secondly, I was far less than enthusiastic about the idea of having to constantly watch out for some enchanted ball coming out of nowhere to remove my head.

But the back door banged open and I was saved. Bill was running towards us, a huge, excited smile on his face and his shaggy red hair falling in his dark green eyes as he dragged Charlie by the arm. The younger boy did not look at all happy about his situation.

"Hi, Ivy!" Bill cried, only finally letting Charlie go when he got close enough to grab me into a big hug. Smiling despite myself, I hugged him right back and laughed, "Hi, Bill!"

Dora, not to be left out, smiled sweetly at Charlie, holding her arms out for her own hug as she chirped, "Hi, Charlie!" The stocky little redhead scowled, folding his arms over his chest and stubbornly refusing to answer. When Bill gave him a light punch in the arm, the boy finally grumbled, "Hi." Dora looked pleased and was very quickly over her disappointment about not getting a hug.

"How've you been?" Bill asked me, still grinning broadly as his green eyes fell to the pendant around my neck. It was the one he'd given me for my birthday, the green-black obsidian in the shape of an ivy leaf, and I hadn't taken it off since he tied it on.

"Pretty good," I answered brightly, nervously fingering the pendant without realizing it, "I got your letter about your sister. She sounds really great."

"Ya," He replied, proudly puffing out his thin chest, "I've been pretty busy watching after her. Fred and George almost dropped her on her head yesterday, but I caught her before she could hit the ground. Uncle Gid and Uncle Fabe took the twins to work today so it's only Percy and Ronnie at home, and Percy's gonna keep an eye out. Ronnie'll probably sleep most of the day, and even if doesn't, he's still been pretty good with Ginevra. He likes her, but I think he thinks she's a pet or something. That's what he thought about Charlie at first, and Ronnie. The twins he thought were some kind of infestation, haha."

Damn. Every time we met, I was always newly surprised at just how much of a chatterbox he was... it was starting to get adorable and endearing, instead of just alarming and annoying.

"Are we gonna play quidditch, or what?" Charlie demanded crossly, still obviously sulking, taking a step away from Dora every time she inched towards him. It was kind of sweet. I smiled at him but that just made his glare get much darker, and aimed in my direction.

"We can if the girls want to," Bill reported happily, oblivious to his little brother's mood as he continued to smile at me, "I brought a extra broom besides the ones for me and Charlie, and Dora has hers, but we all only have kid ones so they won't even go very far above the ground. Uncle Gid and Uncle Fabe were going to show me how to take the safety charms off them, but Mum caught us before they could."

I nodded, hugging my book as I reported, "Well, um, it sounds fun but... I don't know how to fly on a broom."

Bill was pulling the aforementioned objects out of the magically expanded depths of the pockets of his enchanted pants and I couldn't help but smile. I loved his enchanted pants. They were hilarious.

"Oh," He chirped, handing Charlie's broom to him, "Well... how about Charlie and Dora play for awhile on their own while I try to teach you and then we can all play a game when you get the hang of it? Ok?"

I thought about the idea for a moment. It probably wasn't a very good one but... "Ok," I agreed quietly, looking around for a good place to stash my book. After a moment, I held it out to Bill and asked, "Will you put this in your pocket for me while we're flying?"

"Sure!" He quipped, taking it from my hand and exchanging it for a short broom. I giggled as I watched the literature disappear into his pants. Those things were seriously hilarious.

By that time, Charlie had stomped off in a huff, Dora trailing behind him chattering. Neither Bill nor I had noticed them leave. Bill frowned, wrestling an oddly shaped sports ball out of his pocket. It was about the size of a basketball and the color of a football, but it had big circular dents on it. "Heads up!" He cried as he launched it at his brother's back. The younger boy scowled when it hit him, scooping it up off the ground before jumping on his broom and jetting off into the air. Like Bill said, he didn't go very high, maybe ten feet up, at most, but he was maneuvering rather impressively. He seemed to be perfectly at home darting about and trying to avoid poor little Dora.

Still, I was scared. I had just gotten mildly comfortable with the flying motorcycle... a broom seemed utterly ridiculous.

But Bill was still grinning, looking really excited about being able to teach me and I found that I was willing to be a little scared for him. Besides, he wouldn't let me get really hurt... he caught Ginevra before the twins could drop her on her head, after all. That was a good sign... right?

"Ok," He instructed excitedly, straddling his own broom directly to my left, "First, just get on like I am."

I did so, very thankful I'd thought to wear shorts underneath my dress as I smoothed it down over my legs.

"Now, we'll try kicking off and hovering first," He went on, grabbing hold of his broom handle with both hands so that I could mirror the positioning, "Just bend your knees and kick off straight up. You should hover in place as long as you don't yank on the broom handle at all. That's for steering."

I nodded, carefully carrying out his instructions and expecting them to work. Still, I squeaked when I suddenly found my feet leaving the ground. I wobbled for a few seconds before losing my balance and falling right over, right on top of Bill.

Pinned beneath me in the grass with his fire red hair spread out like a halo, he laughed lightly. "That was... a good try," He complimented, smiling up at me as I blushed and tried to scramble off him. When I managed that, when we were finally just seated beside each other, he turned to me and stated, "Maybe this next time I can hold onto you when you hover and help you keep balanced, ok?"

Sheepishly, I nodded and we gave it another shot. It worked better. I almost fell again when my feet left the ground, but Bill was right there to grab my waist and steady me. "Squeeze the broom tighter between your legs," He prompted, "And just keep yourself upright."

After a few minutes, I succeeded in finding my balance. Bill let go and I didn't fall. It still felt way weird, but... I wasn't that scared. I had a big smile on my face and Bill was beaming right back at me. "You got it!" He chirped excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet, "Now try moving a bit. Just use your body and the handle to guide it."

I nodded, turning back to the broom, carefully leaning, attempting maybe a small circle.

Instead, I shot off like a bat out of hell. A scream left my mouth before I could stop it as I careened upwards and towards the house, as I suddenly found myself _upside-down_. That's right. I did several stomach-churning loop-de-loops that probably would have been very impressive had they been... well, intentional.

Bill was yelling something at me, probably directions concerning the method which I might use to stop the sweeping-instrument-gone-wrong, but I could barely hear him over my own screaming and the wind whipping my short hair against my ears. I don't know how long I was in the air, but it felt like forever.

And then I was on the ground again, on my back in the grass. I'd fallen pretty hard, the wind got knocked out of me, but, after just a brief moment, I started laughing. As insane and terrifying as flying was, the whole experience must have looked downright comical.

I sat up, seeing that I'd gotten pretty far before I fell. I was almost back at the house and Bill was still about a hundred yards away, running towards me. He looked worried, until he saw that I was laughing. Then he joined in, smile bright and quite cute. I felt my face get hot as my stomach tied itself up into knots. As new as the sensation was, I was starting to get used to it where that certain Weasley was concerned.

But the smile dropped off of Bill's face and my stomach immediately dropped out. The boy was staring at something behind me, green eyes wide and fearful. I turned.

A tall man dressed in a long black robe scooped me up off the ground, holding me in a tight, borderline-crushing embrace. I started screaming again, kicking and flailing, and the brunette gruffly ordered, "Calm down. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm taking you home."

"IVY!!!" I heard Judy shriek, scared as I'd ever heard her. I managed to fight my way into a position to see that another brunette man in a black robe had grabbed her; a blonde woman had Noah. Both twins were struggling as wildly as they could, but they were just babies. It wasn't a fair fight.

Bill was still running to help me, but the other two robed goons were faster. They easily brushed by him and his ineffectual little boy punches, carrying us all like they were stone-faced robots.

"LET GO!!" I screamed, thrashing wildly as the man carried me away towards the house, "PUT ME DOWN!!! LEAVE THEM ALONE!!! NOAH!! JUDY!!" I fought so hard, hard as I could, but I couldn't get lose. I couldn't do anything. I was helpless and terrified.

I expected to be hauled off down the road, possibly thrown into one of those nondescript black vans kidnapping operations like that one were so keen on. Instead, they took us into the house.

"AUNTIE ROMI!!!" I bellowed, kicking my attacker's side as the twins and I were carried into the living room, "UNCLE TEDDY!!! HELP US!!! PLEASE!!"

I expected an armed rescue, for them both to come running down the stairs or out of the kitchen with their wands out, ready to fight to save us. But they were already in the living room, sitting on the pretty floral patterned couch. Uncle Teddy had his arm around Auntie Romi, trying to comfort her while she cried. She was crushing a roll of plain parchment in one fist.

They both looked up when I screamed, Romi sobbing harder as her blue eyes fell on all of us. "I'm sorry, Ivy!" She sniffled, "I'm so sorry! There's nothing we can do! They-They have papers! There's nothing we can do!"

I was... stunned. So stunned that I stopped fighting out of sheer surprise and confusion. Papers? They were going to let these people kidnap us because they had... papers?

My pause was time enough for the man holding me to throw floo powder into the fireplace, green flames jumping skyward as he stated flatly, "The Ministry thanks you for your cooperation." He nodded to his two cronies--Judy was biting the other man fiercely and Noah was crying his little eyes out as he punched weakly at the woman--before turning back to the fire.

"Nenmoi Estate," He deadpanned, stepping into the green flames and sweeping us both away.

xxXxx

It wasn't a kidnapping; it was a "Custody Rearrangement."

My mother's family, the Nenmoi's, had been fighting for custody of me since the moment they discovered my whereabouts, for the twins since the moment they discovered that Noah and Judy existed. At first, they were going under the law, through Voldemort. They were followers, just like my father's family. That's part of why it took so long for them to get us.

The Kasen's and Nenmoi's were locked deeply in a notorious and sometimes bloody feud. It was mostly the reason why my mother and father ran away to begin with. The families would kill or die to keep them apart.

But what was past was past. Noah Kasen was dead, Rose Nenmoi was missing, and there we were, three pure-blooded orphans all ripe for the taking.

They fought each other for us at first, but Gabriel hit me and destroyed the Kasen's chances at getting custody of us. It made it so very simple for the Nenmoi's to stake their claim, legally, through the Ministry.

And the Ministry upheld the claim, sending the three goons armed with papers when they came to get us.

In all the confusion, no one ever thought to question how they knew we would be at the Tonks' house that day, why they didn't even _try_ Sirius' place first.

The Nenmoi Estate was _massive_. I didn't appreciate just _how_ massive until I tried to escape.

See, they were smart. The room I was ushered into after a cold, initial introduction to Vivienne Nenmoi, my mother's blonde, ice-queen older sister, wasn't locked or guarded, but... Noah and Judy weren't with me or anywhere nearby. They took them away, somewhere else, somewhere I couldn't find, and I was _not_ leaving without them.

Three hours after breaking out of my room, after wandering what had to have been at least five miles worth of uninviting hallways and dusty, empty rooms, I was very close to tears. I wanted my brother and sister, and I wanted to go _home_, our real home, with Sirius.

I slid to the cold marble floor, my back against the expensive patterned wallpaper as I pulled my knees against my chest. I put my forehead to my knees, closed my eyes, and tried to think.

Some time later, the sharp, unmistakable rap of a cane against my skull jolted me out of the half-slumber I'd fallen into. Instantly awake, disoriented and thinking that I was back with Bernadette, I quickly scrambled away down the hall.

I was breathing hard when I finally hit the wobbly little table, when I sent the priceless Chinese vase careening to the floor. The crash was... really loud. I kept trying to move down the hall so it wasn't that much of a surprise that I ended up with shards of ceramic wedged deep into my palms.

"Stop," A deep, authoritative voice male commanded. And then suddenly I couldn't move. Still in major freak-out mode, it took me a few moments to remember all of what happened, to remember where I was and why.

I looked up and saw an old man standing over me. He had gray hair and blue eyes and wrinkles all over his hard features. He was wearing rich gray fabrics and glaring at me like I was something he'd just stepped in.

He also had his wand out, pulled out of the hilt of his long, black cane. I realized that he was the reason I couldn't move and glared right back at him. I didn't much like being restrained in any fashion.

He flicked his wand and my still body rose up into the air, just floating. He circled me very slowly, looking me over in a way not dissimilar to how a rancher might inspect his newest heifer. He seized my bloody hands, turning them over and frowning when he saw the bits of his vase imbedded in my flesh.

"That vase," He said it the pretentious way--_vahs_--his voice unaffected but filled with rage, "Was from the Tang Dynasty... it was worth more to me than you are."

I didn't even wince. It's not like I wasn't used to verbal abuse by then and, really, it was a rather unimaginative attempt. Who did this guy think he was dealing with?

He waved his wand at me, muttering some incantation that made the little pieces of porcelain come flying out of my hand. It hurt like hell and did more damage than was already there. I bit my lip and didn't make a sound.

The old man smirked cruelly. "Least you're a strong one," He observed, still circling me, making me feel like a piece of meat, which I suppose would have pissed me off more had I not been about three seconds away from hyperventilating over the fact that I still couldn't move. After his third revolution, he stopped right in front of me, leaning heavily on his cane as he stated, "My name is Damek Nenmoi. You may call me Grandfather. This is my house and you will obey me for as long as you continue to live in it."

He glanced over at the mess of the shattered vase, waving his wand and putting everything right again, like nothing had ever happened. "The clumsiness must come from your father's side," He spat coldly, "Merlin knows it's not from mine."

He waved his wand again and I fell to the floor, finally able to move and grateful for it. I scrambled to my feet and backed away from the horrid old man. "Don't wander," He warned, "Don't touch _anything_. Speak only when spoken to and do as you're told, when you're told to it. Punishment for disobedience or insolence will be swift and harsh."

"Where are my brother and sister?" I demanded, calling up all the courage I had in me to stare down my menacing grandfather, "I want to see Noah and Judy!"

Sneering, he countered, "Perhaps later, if you behave tonight." Faster than I would have suspected, he darted forward and grabbed me by the arm. His grip was biting and bruising but, again, I'd been through worse and didn't even flinch. "You will return to Vivienne now," He stated, dragging me off down the hall, "You've had her running around all day looking for you, and she doesn't have very much more time to make you presentable."

xxXxx

"God, what were those mudblood-lovers thinking?" My aunt derided as she, too, circled me a few times. With a just-smelled-a-fart look on her pinched, rat-like face, she reached out to yank hard on my short, messy hair and observed, "This is a dreadful mess. We'll have to make do for now, but you're to take daily hair growth potions until it reaches a suitable length... I guess we can't do anything about the color until you're older..."

I scowled at her, still very unhappy about my situation. She didn't seem to care, pulling on my dress and scolding, "And where did you get this hideous little _frock_? A thrift shop? One run by retarded monkeys, no doubt?"

"It was a birthday present," I retorted, even though I knew I probably shouldn't, glaring hotly.

Vivienne gave me a sharp slap upside the back of my head, snapping, "Speak only when spoken to."

"You asked me a question," I replied smartly, my normally very pragmatic sense of self-preservation on holiday after having gone so long without dealing with that kind of situation, "I was answering it."

She smacked me again, a little bit harder but still not hard enough to get the reaction of fear and obedience I know she was looking for. "Watch that mouth," She growled, getting right in my face, "Or I'll break it."

I clenched my jaw, staring right back without so much as a blink. If she thought a few threats were going to turn me into some helpless puppet, she had another thing coming. Hell, I couldn't count on my fingers and toes how many times I'd been beaten within an inch of my life without any sane reason at all. Did she really think I was going to be afraid of her?

"Strip," The skeletally thin, impeccably dressed blonde ordered, folding her arms and staring at me with icy blue eyes.

"What? No!" I responded, disturbed and outraged that she'd make such a demand... it was a little creepy... ok, it was _very_ creepy.

Not liking my refusal, the tall woman sneered and snatched her wand out of a well-concealed pocket of her very chic pastel green dress robes. She flicked the stick at me and everything I was wearing tore right down the middle before shooting off to separate ends of richly-decorated bedroom suite.

I gave a horrified squeak and immediately tried to cover myself up, really quite scared for the first time, naked and exposed and utterly vulnerable.

"What the hell are those?" Vivienne screeched as she circled around behind me again, jabbing her wand hard directly into my spine. I knew she was talking about my scars. "Wonderful, just wonderful," She muttered under her breath, "We were sold damaged goods... talk about buyer's remorse."

All my bravery in the face of danger was flying out the window because I wasn't faced with danger anymore. This was sheer, unadulterated bitchiness I was up against and even dealing with Judy on a daily basis hadn't prepared me for that kind of malicious cruelty. Tears were welling up in my eyes and I was choking them down just as hard as I could, gaze on the floor as I shivered and tried not to let her make me feel less than human.

"As if I didn't have enough to worry about from this wretch without having to hide some grotesque disfigurement," Vivienne grumbled crossly, grabbing a white satin slip out of one of the many fancy dress boxes that she'd brought in with her. She shoved the garment at me, ordering, "Just put this on and try not break anything else while you're at it."

I sniffed, willing myself not to let her get to me--even though she already had--as I pulled the slip on over my head. I was glad to have clothes. The whole strip-spell thing was not my idea of a good time.

Vivienne was rummaging through more boxes, pulling out dozens of expensive-looking formal dresses that all seemed to be about my size, still cursing and insulting me under her breath as she went. I kept stealing glances to the two halves of my pretty pink sundress because it was worth more to me than all the other dresses I was forced into that day.

xxXxx

By the time it got dark, I was in a frilly green lace ball gown that to me looked rather funereal, that was so tight I could hardly breath, not to mention so itchy I was losing my mind. My face was caked with make up; I was allergic to whatever Vivienne used on me and breaking out all over but, instead of letting me wash it off, the woman just slathered on more to cover the rash. I felt shaky and nauseas, partly from the allergic reaction and partly from the fact that I hadn't been allowed to have even water in the last twelve hours or so.

When I was dressed to Vivienne's satisfaction, she sat me in a chair, threatened my life if I moved a muscle, and then disappeared. She was gone for over an hour getting dressed herself. I was very faint and somehow managed to fall asleep sitting upright. My aunt came back and found me like that. She was in rather immodest, low-cut, slinky green dress robes that did very little to flatter her stick-like physique and her blonde curls were plastered into a fancy up-do.

She didn't bother waking me, just seized me by the arm and yanked me after her. I was groggy and disoriented; my ability to breathe had been compromised by the allergic reaction while I was asleep and I didn't realize what the hell was going on or where she was taking me until we were already there.

"Presenting Miss Ivy Nenmoi," A butler-looking guy announced as I was hussled into a large ball room packed to the brim with nicely dressed adults and older children. They all clapped in a solemn, dignified manner.

"That's not my name!" I cried out indignantly, utterly revolted by the realization that my mother's family was going to try to erase who I was, "My name is Ivy _Sennen_! _IVY SENNEN_!!"

The applause tapered off into awkward little pats as the crowd glanced at each other, seeming disturbed and disapproving.

Vivienne was quick to cover, putting her claw on the back of my neck and squeezing painfully as she laughed it off. "Her fugitive name," The woman explained, faking sympathy, "The poor darling still hasn't gotten over the whole ordeal, but we are quite certain she will with just a little time and proper instruction." Her fingernails dug in sharply, almost drawing blood, and I got the message loud and clear: the next words to come out of my mouth would be my last. Wisely, I decided to keep quiet.

She paraded me around like a show dog, always there and threatening me with her very presence if I did anything out of line, if I didn't curtsy properly, if I spoke out of turn, if I answered questions with an _attitude_. She introduced me to lots of people but it was mostly a blur of insignificant faces and names. I was so tired, hungry and tired and still feeling faint as I struggled to breathe through my constantly tightening throat.

The only two people I actually remembered later were my mother's older brothers, the twins Kurt and Corin Nenmoi. They weren't identical like the Prewitt twins--it made me sad to think of Gideon and Fabian because thinking of them made me think of Bill and I didn't know if I would ever be allowed to see my friend again...

Anyways, Corin was shorter and stockier, and his straight blonde hair was a shade or two darker than Kurt's heavy gold curls. They both had blue eyes, but Kurt's had green around the pupils; he also had sparse, boyish freckles across the bridge of his sculpted nose where Corin had none across his slightly crooked one.

They both seemed nice enough, if a little distanced. Kurt slipped me some little fingerfoods off his plate while we were talking--they were some type of disgusting organ meat, but helped. During the brief time I was allowed to stay with my two uncles, they mostly told me about my cousins. I learned that Vivienne and her husband, Antonin Dolohov, had a fourteen-year-old son named Dimitri. Kurt had two daughters, Elysia and Belinda, who were eight and seven. Corin had a six-year-old daughter, Sasha, and a pair of two-year-old twins, Henry and Hazel.

It felt so weird to hear that I had so much family. My whole life it had been just me, and Momma, and Daddy, then just me and the twins. I had always assumed it was just us and I didn't know how to feel about the fact that I'd been wrong.

After only about ten minutes, Vivienne came back with two other women who, from the way they clung awkwardly to my uncles' arms, I assumed were Kurt's and Corin's wives. Amaranthe Nenmoi, formerly Carrows, was tallish and a little chubby--baby-weight, I heard her hiss beneath her breath when Vivienne made a snide comment; her and Corin were expecting again. She had long blonde hair and a piggish face. Kurt's wife was Gretchen Nenmoi, formerly Mulciber. She was... utterly average. I'd be very hard pressed to pick her out of a crowd, but I do remember her having dyed blonde hair, mousey brown roots just barely visible, and a rather whiny voice.

I wanted to stay and talk to my uncles for a bit more, they were the kindest to me out of everyone in the whole house and it was nice to hear about my family, but Vivienne dragged me away again with her claw on the back of my neck. She pulled me away from the party, down a long hallway and into a dimly-lit sitting room decorated in dark colors.

My grandfather was already there, leaning heavily on his can as he smoked cigars with a rather short, thick-chested middle aged man who had slicked down ashy blonde hair, lightly tanned skin, and ice blue eyes. A similarly built boy was standing beside the man. He didn't look much older than twelve or thirteen, his arms clasped neatly behind his back and a polite but bored expression on his hard features.

As I was shoved in, the older man and my grandfather shook hands. I got a really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that had very little to do with the hunger, exhaustion, oxygen starvation, or anaphylaxis. Something was going on and I was fairly sure it would not be in my best interest.

When my aunt and I were finally noticed, she gave a graceful curtsy and forced me into imitating one as well. I was rather dizzy by then and lost my balance, nearly taking a header into the thick carpet before she yanked me back.

"Come, Doyle," Grandfather instructed, sending me a hateful glare as Vivienne began to draw blood with her razor-sharp talons, "We can finalize our deal in the study. My daughter will see to the introductions." The other man nodded and they both walked off, puffing on their thick cigars and speaking in low voices.

Vivienne nearly snapped my spine wrenching my head back around, back onto the pockmarked teenage boy who remained. His gaze was locked on me, chilling and just... unwelcome. He, too, was looking at me like I was some pack animal he'd just purchased, never bothering to make eye contact or even make the slightest indication that he acknowledged I was a human being.

"Mortimer Travers," Vivienne stated sweetly to the boy, keeping a tight grip on my neck, "Ivy Nenmoi. You two get acquainted while I see to our guests." She bent close to my ear, hissing a warning of, "Don't screw this up or, so help me Merlin, I will _flay_ you." She left without a backwards glance.

Mortimer didn't say anything, continuing to just stare. I grew annoyed rather quickly and, as soon as I was sure the coast was clear, I moved to the heavy wood door, opening it and peering out into the hallway.

"What are you doing?" The boy finally asked, disinterested but still accusing.

I glared at him over my shoulder, replying, "None of your business." The hallway was empty and I made a break for it.

Just my luck, Mortimer decided to follow. "You know," He reported, vaguely annoyed in superior, aristocratic way as he effortlessly kept step beside me, "We aren't supposed to leave the sitting room. We're supposed to be having a conversation so we can get to know one another."

"No thanks," I responded, jogging down the hall and trying every door, "I have more important things to do."

"What could possibly be more important than talking with your betrothed?" He demanded haughtily, sounding so freaking stuck-up I could have just slapped him.

I rolled my eyes, breathlessly snapping, "I have to find my brother and sister and find a way out of here-" Suddenly realizing what he'd just said, I cut myself off, whirling around with my mouth open to demand, "With my _what_?"

"_Betrothed_," He repeated very slowly, smirking as he acted like he was talking to a infant, "It means we're to be married."

"I know what it means!" I cried out, suddenly feeling a lot fainter and shorter of breath, "That's ridiculous! I'm not getting married! I'm eleven! And you're a tool!!"

Rolling his eyes, Mortimer answered, "We won't actually be married until we're older, _darling_, and I highly doubt if anyone will ask for or care about your opinion on the matter. My father has made a deal with your grandfather, and you should be grateful anyone wanted you at all. Who knows what all that time spent with mudbloods and muggles has infect you with."

I searched my mind for a appropriate response but nothing short of an hour of screaming the worst curse words I knew seemed even remotely suitable. I didn't have time for that so, instead, I growled and stomped off down the hall. My head was throbbing and my throat felt like it was going close.

Again, Mortimer followed, sounding rather amused as he teased, "You're not going to find your brother and sister."

I stopped, turning to face him and glaring up with my hands on my slim hips as I snapped, "And how the hell would you know that?"

"Because," He reported arrogantly, smoothing down his slicked-back ashy hair, "They're _not here_. All the rest of the children in your family are at Corin's residence with a nanny. I heard him say so earlier."

"Fine," I bit back, trying not to show how discouraged I was, "I'll just go get them then. Where does he live?"

The boy snorted, laughing, "I'm not going to help you runaway. How stupid do you think I am?"

"Judging from face," I answered lowly, "Pretty damn."

He glared angrily, threatening, "You've got a filthy mouth. If you keep it up, someone's going to have to correct that for you."

I glared back fearlessly, answering, "Let anyone who thinks he's got the balls give it a try."

Obviously seething at being challenged by a girl, Mortimer's face flushed dark red as he clenched his jaw. And then he reached out and slapped me, hard but not hard enough. He probably expected me to react like his fellow spoiled little rich brats would, with tears and pure shock that a hand had been raised against me.

But I had been beaten on quite severely and one more hit wasn't at all surprising. Truthfully, I think I constantly expected it and continued to do so for the rest of my life.

Without delay, I caught him in the chin with a swift right upper cut, then a quick left to his nose, breaking it with a satisfying crunch, and then threw my knee up into his gut. He went down and stayed down, bloody and unconscious.

But I didn't stick around to gloat, running feebly until I found a room in which I remembered having seen floo powder and a fireplace. I helped myself to a few handfuls, throwing one down and guessing, "Um, Nenmoi... Residence?" I stepped into the fire and prayed that I would find Noah and Judy soon.

xxXxx

After four more tries--Nenmoi Home, Palace, Villa, and Abode--I finally arrived at Nenmoi _Manor_. I was even more exhausted, running on fumes and the overwhelming desire to get the twins and get away. Whatever allergic reaction I was having was getting worse. My skin was all broken out and burning with an itchy rash; my breath was coming in short gasps as my throat continued to constrict further and further. I fell out of the fireplace and onto an expensive oriental rug. Almost immediately, I heard a familiar chorus of, "IVY!!!" Waves a sheer relief crashed over my whole body.

My knees wouldn't support my weight, but it didn't matter because I didn't even have to stand just then. Noah and Judy came sprinting into my arms, nearly tackling me to the floor with their excitement. I hugged them to me fiercely, kissing them both several times before choking out, "Hey, guys. You been behaving?"

A guilty pause followed and I couldn't help laughing. I looked up and saw a young brunette woman asleep on a plush gold divan chair in the middle of the room. She was the nanny and, from the thick black mustache drawn across her upper lip, I deduced that my brother and sister had definitely _not_ been behaving themselves. It didn't matter in the least bit.

"Are you two ready to go? Do you need jackets?" I panted, holding them at arms length to make sure they were really alright. Their clothes were newer, more expensive, but that was the only thing different. They were still Noah and Judy.

"Who are you?" Someone asked, making me jump in surprise. I stood straight up and whirled around, pushing Noah and Judy to stand behind me. I found myself face-to-face with a burly teenage boy. He was taller than me by quite a bit, with thick gorilla arms and shaggy dark-blonde hair tied back from his high forehead and wide cheekbones in a short ponytail. His gray-blue eyes were frozen on me, narrowed and calculating, like he was assessing a threat.

"I-" I started a response only to find that the exertion had finally caught up with me. My throat slammed shut. I couldn't breathe. It took only seconds for the world to spin and dim.

Just before I fell to the floor, before everything faded to darkness, I saw the boy's hard eyes soften with worry as he darted forward to catch me.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hello all. Hope you liked this installment. Sorry it took so long. I'll try to be better with updates but no promises. I go back to school today so you never know what kinds of surprises that place holds. As always, reviews thrill me and make my world a brighter place ;)


	12. Part 12: The Maternal Instinct

Part 12 - The Maternal Instinct

While the twins and I were being snatched up by Ministry goons armed with custody papers, Sirius was on a mission in Santa Monica, California, with James, Remus, and Peter. He'd gotten it into his head that he could find our mother and persuade her to sign us over to him, putting an end to all the fighting. He wanted us to feel safe and secure living with him, not like we could be taken away at any time. Plus, he'd promised me he wouldn't let that happen and he always did his best to keep his promises.

Failing to account for time zone differences, the four men arrived very early in the morning. The sun wasn't even up yet. I still laugh just imagining the startled and confused looks on all their faces.

But they didn't let that deter them and got to work quickly. James and Peter split off in search of phone books while Sirius and Remus walked the streets trying to match landmarks to the pictures in my photo albums, which they borrowed in the hopes of being able to recognize our old apartment building as well as our mother.

She wasn't listed, but they did finally find the old apartment. Momma didn't live there anymore, hadn't for a long time. When she was around three months pregnant with the twins, we moved to a far crappier place off Lincoln Avenue. The backyard shared a fence with the airport, LAX, and between the noise and crime and pollution, it was... pretty damn horrible.

It was lucky I thought to leave a forwarding address when we moved there. What can I say? I was a weird kid but, still, my weirdness was what led the Marauders to my mother so I guess it has its advantages.

"You sure this is right?" James asked, looking suspiciously between the scribbled address they'd gotten from the old landlady to the graffitied, falling-down slum it was attached to. He then flinched for the third time that minute as a plane came in for landing low over his head. His bright brown eyes were wide behind his wire-rimmed glasses. A lengthy day of immersion in muggledom was starting to really freak him out.

Nodding as he strode forward and up the rickety fire escape that served in place of proper stairs, Sirius responded, "This is the place. Let's just hope she hasn't moved."

The third floor hallway was dank and dark and smelled like urine. In other words, nothing about it had changed. Sirius knocked hard on the cracked green door of 3B and waited anxiously for a response.

"GO THE HELL AWAY!!" A shrill, smoke-hoarse woman's voice called out from behind it, "I'M A BROKE HEATHEN AND I DON'T VOTE!!"

The four men shared confused glances before Sirius stepped closer and cautiously inquired, "Um, Rose Sennen?"

A long, tense pause followed before the woman called back, "Who wants to know?"

"My name is Sirius Black," He stated, relieved because it looked like they were in the right place, "It's about your kids."

After a brief flash of fast, clumsy footsteps, the door flew open a crack. "What about my kids?" The one visible bloodshot blue eye demanded from the other side of the thick safety chain.

"They need your help," Sirius informed her plainly, leaning to try and get a better look at her, "Can we please come in? It's not something that can be discussed in the hallway."

The blue eye narrowed suspiciously for a few moments. The door slammed shut and the sounds of the woman scrambling to take the chain off could be heard before it flew open again.

The woman revealed looked almost nothing like the one in my photo album. She was painfully skinny, pale skin sallow and tinged yellow and pulled tight over every sharp bone in her body. Her long blonde hair hung in limp, unwashed waves all the way down to the absence of her butt and she only wore enough to cover the essentials, a dirty white tank top and baggy men's boxer shorts rolled up several times. A jagged, raised scar was clearly visible on the inside of her bare left thigh; it read _Noah_.

"My kids are with relatives upstate," She declared, thin lips chapped and split and scabbed and then briefly pressed to the mouth of a half-empty liquor bottle, "Did something happen?"

"You could say that," James jumped in, having reached his maximum limit on silence, "But it would sort of be an understatement..."

My mother ushered them all in to her tiny, filthy, cluttered apartment, gesturing for them to sit anywhere they wanted as Sirius, James, and Remus worked together to inform her of the situation. She absorbed the news with what Remus later described as 'disturbing indifference,' like she either didn't fully comprehend or fully believe what she was being told.

"And so I was hoping you'd give me custody of all three," Sirius finally finished, heart in his throat as he put forth his plain and sincere request, "They're great kids and I'd love nothing more than to take care of them. They're all so bloody smart. Geniuses, really. Judy's a tough girl, and Noah's a sweetheart, and Ivy... well, Ivy's _amazing_. She's so brave, and just dotes over the twins, and she loves to read, and I think she might even have a crush on this one boy, Bill Weasley. They're kind of cute together. She's getting a lot of confidence back and I don't want to see that ruined by her ending up under the thumb of another psycho."

My mother just stared. Sirius squirmed uncomfortably under the gaze, fidgeting in the pocket of his leather jacket to fish out a moving photo. He offered it out to her as he explained, "Here's a picture. I thought you might like a recent one. It was taken at me and Ivy's birthday party, before it got all messed up."

Momma accepted the picture hesitantly, peering owlishly down at it as she clutched the paper in her shaking, veiny hands. It was me and the twins in the Potter's living room. I was hugging Judy to my left and Noah to my right and we were all just grinning, broad and bright, into the camera, waving and laughing and having a blast. It was a wonderful moment.

For what seemed like a very long stretch of time, my mother could only stare blankly...

... then she slumped back in her chair and passed out...

"Uh..." James gaped, watching as Remus jumped up to take the drunken blonde woman's weak pulse, "Ok... that went well... now what?"

Groaning as he dropped his head into his hands, Sirius answered, "I guess we wait for to sober up and hope she'll agree to come sign the papers..." He looked up after a bit, addressing the others, "You guys can go on home if you need to. Thanks for the help, but I don't want to keep you from anything."

"No worries, Padfoot," James stated with a slight smirk, "We're happy to help if it'll protect your kids..." He glanced at his watch--it was 8:00 P.M. back in England--before continuing, "Though I might take you up on that offer just to stop home real quick and put Harry to bed. He doesn't sleep good if I'm not there to kiss him goodnight."

"Go on then," Sirius agreed with a certain amount of forced brightness, "Give my regards to Evans and the Prongslet." James nodded and vanished with a loud pop.

"If you don't need me, then I'll go, too," Peter stated, hefting his pudgy body up off the overturned milk crate he was seated on, "I'm a bit tired from all the trekking around muggledom."

"Whatever," Sirius said, callously waving his friend off as he kept a close eye on my mother, "See you later, Wormtail." Frowning, Peter, too, disappeared with a loud pop.

James returned only about fifteen minutes later, white as a sheet and absolutely frantic. Something had upset him a great deal and he had fallen into what his friends liked to call Warp Speed Mode: his brain was firing too fast for his mouth to catch up so all that would come out were incoherent snippets of phrases and meaningless grunts.

"Relax," Remus commanded, tragically used to the occurrence. He shoved James backwards into a rickety wicker chair and instructed, "Slow down. Go over some quidditch stats in your head."

The man took a deep breath, messy black hair in more of a disarray than usual. After a brief moment, he rushed out, "The Nenmoi's got custody of Ivy and the twins! The Ministry snatched them from Romi's house hours ago!"

"WHAT?" Sirius bellowed, instantly leaping to his feet, "NO!! They can't do that!!" He then also fell victim to Warp Speed Mode, though his was more of a rant. It took Remus and James nearly twenty minutes to get him to stop pacing and raving, and that was only because one of the downstairs neighbors began pounding on the ceiling and yelling for him to shut the hell up.

"I-I have to go back and get them!" He finally ground out, wide-eyed and terrified, mentally berating himself because he'd _promised_, "I can't let them take the kids! Who the hell knows what they'll do to them!! I promised Ivy I wouldn't let this happen!!"

"Padfoot," Remus cut in, laying a calming hand on his friend's trembling shoulder, looking over the set of documents relayed to them by James from Andromeda, "You can't help them by going back now. The Nenmoi's have legal custody and they've barred us all magically. None of us will even be allowed to touch the kids without it being called a kidnapping attempt and they send you straight to Azkaban for that."

A hopeless, lost expression came across Sirius' face and he fell back into his chair once more. Holding his head in his hands, fighting back tears of frustration, he whispered, "So what do I do? I can't just let them go. I promised..."

"We should stay," Remus stated, moving into the kitchen and searching the bare cabinets for some coffee, "Your only hope of getting the kids back is if Rose agrees to give you custody. She never signed her rights away in the magical world so, technically, her claim overrules her family's."

Shakily, Sirius nodded and anxiously sat back to wait out my mother's latest alcohol binge.

xxXxx

When I woke up, my skull felt too tight for my brain, like I'd accidentally grabbed the wrong size. My head throbbed, my throat burned and ached, and the skin on my face itched like you wouldn't believe.

It took me a moment to remember what happened, being taken by my mother's family, the ball, Mortimer Travers, trying to escape, not being able to breathe...

And then the gravity of my situation came crashing back down.

I had to get the twins and go.

Fighting my pained body, I opened my eyes and quickly pushed myself up out of a soft leather couch I'd been draped carefully across. Immediately, my gaze fell on the boy I saw just before I passed out, the burly teenager with the gorilla arms and dark blonde ponytail. He was perched on an armchair across from me, in a different room than the one I remembered passing out in.

He gave me a speculative glance before inquiring softly, "Are you alright?"

"No," I replied snappishly, jumping to my feet, tripping stupidly and falling right onto my butt. I groaned. This was _so_ not going well.

"You don't have to be rude," The young man scolded disapprovingly, though obviously trying not to laugh as he slowly stood to once more reveal his far superior height, "I was just concerned. You sort of stopped breathing."

I glared, backing away from the behemoth as my eyes darted about the small sitting room in search of an escape. "Where are Noah and Judy?" I demanded, just daring him to refuse to tell me.

"I put them back to bed," He answered plainly, "They were supposed to have been asleep hours ago. You really shouldn't let them stay up."

"For your information, I _don't_!!" I snarled combatively, thoroughly incensed at the accusation that I didn't know how to take care of my brother and sister, "Their bedtime is eight! They probably just couldn't sleep tonight from the trauma of being _kidnapped_, not to mention that I was there to tuck them in!"

The young man nodded, quietly countering, "Makes sense."

My eyes narrowed. Agreeing was an odd tactic and made me fairly sure he was running a game on me, trying to get my guard down so he could attack me like most of the people I'd met that night had. "Who are you?" I questioned skeptically, keeping my distance.

The blonde shot me a charming smile, his gray-blue eyes brightening as he softly stated, "I'm Dimitri. I'm your cousin."

"Oh," I acknowledged flatly, vaguely recalling what Kurt and Corin had told me about him. Dimitri Dolohov was the son of Antonin Dolohov and Vivienne Nenmoi. He was fourteen, a smart, quiet Slytherin who had aspirations of becoming a healer.

"Well... whatever..." I claimed, telling myself not to get distracted from the mission, "I still want my brother and sister right now!"

"They're asleep," He claimed, standing rooted to the spot as I continued to circle untrustingly, "They wouldn't go at first. I had to promise that I'd take care of you. They're afraid you're sick... again... when were you sick before?"

It was definitely odd that he cared. I expected another round of "shut the hell up and do as you're told, you worthless waste of space." Confused, I hesitantly answered, "A few weeks ago, I had pneumonia and flu, and then after that I got a concussion and got cursed."

"Poor thing," Dimitri commented, sounding quite genuine, "No wonder they were scared. You seem to be a bit accident-prone."

I shrugged.

"Well, I hope you're at least feeling better," He stated, smile charming and amiable, "You gave me quite a scare. I had to dose you with epinephrine."

"How do you know what epinephrine is?" I accused disbelievingly, "And how did you know that's what you should've given me?"

With a guilty smirk, the teen conspiratorially explained, "Don't tell my mother and father, but I snuck a Muggle Studies course into my schedule. The professor let me borrow a muggle medical textbook that I've been reading. When the usual anti-allergy spells didn't work on you, I _accio_ed the epinephrine from... somewhere, I guess... what are you allergic to, anyways?"

Beginning to relax slightly, I scratched at my greasy face and answered, "I think this make up your mom put on me. It itches."

The teen frowned. "That's no good," He offered, looking very concerned, "Let's go into the kitchen. You can wash your face and I'll make us a snack, ok?"

I paused. That actually sounded... nice. My stomach growled audibly and I cautiously agreed, "Ok."

My cousin led me into a massive, pristine white kitchen with marble floors and countertops. He pointed out a large marble basin to me and then turned to rifle through the cupboards, chatting pleasantly while I scrubbed my raw face.

I felt much better once the make up was off, taking a seat at a small table as I continued to listen to Dimitri talk. He was rather soft-spoken, voice quiet and unhurried, but still very friendly. He asked all about me and listened patiently while I shyly answered his questions. He told me about himself, about how he liked school and had just finished off his third year at Hogwarts, his first year as his house team's keeper. I told him that I'd been trying to learn quidditch with my friends that morning.

After a sympathetic noise about the kidnapping story, he offered to teach me to fly. "It's really not that hard," The blonde stated as he finally walked over the table and set out a pair of crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on delicate bone china plates, "What's that muggle phrase? 'It's like riding a bicycle'? Once you learn, you can do it for the rest of your-"

He cut himself off and stared down at me, his open expression quickly turning to one of anger as he towered over my slight frame. I was instantly terrified, shrinking away when he reached out towards me. I expected to be hit again.

"What the bloody hell happened to you?" He swore, kneeling before my chair and gently inspecting my left cheek, which was emblazoned with a bright red handprint.

Dimitri pressed his thumb down along the puffy flesh and I winced, remembering Mortimer Travers. "The tool I got set up with slapped me," I answered grumpily, slightly embarrassed at having to admit to it. When I saw my cousin's frown grown even darker, I quickly assured, "But I got him back."

But, while the fact seemed to vaguely amused the blonde, it did not appease him. "What's his name?" Dimitri challenged.

I didn't hesitate to answer, "Mortimer Travers. He said I was going to have to marry him, but that's not true, right?"

"Hopefully not anymore," Dimitri responded gravely, still looking over my injury with a clinical eye. That's when he also noticed the claw marks on the back of my neck. "What about these?" He growled, tenderly bending me forward so he could get a better view, "Are these from Travers, too? I am going to thrash that little jerk!"

Comforted by having someone in that family care enough to threaten physical violence on my behalf instead of directed at me, I quietly confessed, "No. Your mom gave me those for yelling my last name was Sennen, not Nenmoi."

In an instant, the teen's anger vanished. "Oh," He stated, quickly withdrawing his hands and standing to go for the icebox. Wordlessly, seeming awkward and almost ashamed, he fetched a small cold pack. He was unable to meet my eyes when he gave it to me and gestured that I should put it on my face. We ate our sandwiches in silence.

I heard an echo of a door opening and closing with a brutal slam somewhere in the house. Immediately conscious of the mission I'd abandoned, I jumped up from my seat and looked around with wide, panicked eyes.

Dimitri glanced towards the noise but his face was blank and tired, like he wanted to do something but couldn't, like he was resolved to take whatever was coming down the hall with the hard steps and muttered swears.

I backed up, terrified and scanning the big room for a place to hide. I saw a door that led outside. I could've gotten away but... I would've had to leave Noah and Judy and I couldn't do that. I knew that if I left them there, then I'd probably never see either one again and I was just incapable of doing that. I was still standing anxiously in the middle of the room when Aunt Vivienne came storming in, her rat-like face twisted with rage.

"Worthless, ungrateful _wretch_!!" She shrieked, reaching out to violently seize a handful of my hair. I cried out sharply as she yanked hard, hurling me to the ground by my hair and then proceeding to kick me hard in the stomach with her pointy designer stilettos. All the air rushed out of my lungs with the first blow and I barely felt the next dozen as I listened to her scream, "How _dare_ you!! Do you have any idea the kind of embarrassment you've already caused to this family with your mere existence? I lost two sisters over you, miserable, _miserable_ girl!! If I'd had my way, you would have been killed on sight!! But instead you were welcomed into our midst, clothed and given a golden opportunity to redeem yourself, and what do you do? You throw it back in our faces!!"

"M-Mother!" Dimitri shouted, voice still soft and uncertain even as I laid there on the ground, curled in a ball with his mother kicking me, "Mother, stop! You're hurting her!"

"Oh, I haven't even _begun_ to hurt her!!" The woman replied, voice wild and full of hate. She finally stopped kicking. I couldn't breathe or see straight and I was in too much pain to even attempt to move.

Seizing me by the hair again, Vivienne dragged me along the floor, out of the kitchen and into the living room. I screamed hysterically, kicking and beating my fists against her arm in an attempt to get free. It did no good. If anything, it made her even more angry.

She continued to drag me all the way to the front door of the house, out the front door and down the massive stone steps. We were in a garden then, a pretty garden with lush grasses and scores of colorful, exotic flowers blooming everywhere I looked. I could smell them; the air was thick and sweet and smothering.

The skirt of my dress was torn to shreds on the ground and fairly soon there was nothing to protect my legs from being scraped and burned with friction against the gravel path. Rocks cut into my flesh and I howled up at the barely visible sliver of moon.

It felt like forever getting to the end of the walkway, moving outside the high gates of my uncle's manor, but we got there. Aunt Vivienne wrenched me to my feet by my hair and apparated us both away.

xxXxx

Back in Santa Monica, the sun was rising on a new day and my mother was still unconscious. She'd woken several times in the night but was still too drunk to rationally react to the situation. Sirius, Remus, and James stayed the whole night, desperately trying to get through to her.

In the morning, Sirius was sitting beside her bed watching over her when she woke. My mother didn't move, just... opened her startlingly blue eyes and stared directly up at the ceiling.

She didn't say anything for a long time and then raggedly whispered, "I thought I was protecting them."

"Huh?" Sirius asked, overtired and a little slow now that some of the caffeine he'd been consuming all night had worn off.

"Ivy," My mom clarified, tears beginning to shine in her bloodshot blue eyes, "A-And the babies. I thought I was protecting them by sending them away." She turned to stare over at Sirius, a tear slipping down off her pale face and into the old, filthy pillowcase, "I'm not fit and I know it."

"At least you tried to do the right thing," He placated quietly, scrubbing a broad hand down his face, scratching at the stubble growing in around his usually impeccably-groomed goatee.

"I would've hurt them," She went on, turning back to stare up at the cracked, stained ceiling, "I-I would've hurt them. After Noah... afterwards, I would look at Ivy and see him in her, his eyes, a-and... I couldn't take it. I wanted the reminder gone... I thought about it all the time, how easy it would be to just put a pillow over her face while she was asleep, to drown the babies as soon as they came out of me... I would've hurt her. All of them. And it scared me so I sent them away."

Hardly able to comprehend what he was hearing, Sirius stayed silent for a long time before he managed to choke out, "You were sick. You sent them away before you hurt them and that's all you could've done."

"But they were no better off," My mom snapped, voice fierce but gaze dead, "Maybe I should have just done it! Sent them to be with their father! At least he could have taken care of them! At least then they wouldn't have suffered!" The fury died and more tears came, hard, sobbing tears as she quietly added, "I never wanted any of them to suffer."

"They won't suffer if they're with me," Sirius assured her earnestly, "They'll live good lives. I'll watch over them and keep them safe. I swear it."

Turning to send him a wry smirk, my mom laughed, "You say that now but you have no way of knowing what's going to happen down the line. I thought they were safe with J and he died, left them with that bitch wife of his. Who's to say you won't do the same? Why should I trust you when I already know what a fucked up, twisted world it is out there? Why should I subject my kids to all the cruelty it has to offer?"

Their stares locked, bored into one another in the buzzing stillness of the hot, rank room. The upstairs neighbors were having sex before they had to leave for work, their old bed squeaking and creaking as it slid across the floor in time with their moans. In the kitchen, Remus was bustling about making yet another pot of coffee in the jumping, burping percolator while he spoke lowly with James. There were airplanes outside, flying low and forcing the roars of jet engines in through the barred windows.

"Because they're already out in the world," Sirius responded flatly, putting all his effort into keeping his temper in check as his hands shook at his sides, "You can't change that now and they deserve a chance at making it work. Just because the world is a fucked up place doesn't mean it's not worth living in. Not every story ends in tragedy."

"This one will," My mom answered, eerily sure of herself, "Just wait. You don't even know what tragedy _is_ yet."

Sirius took a deep breath, collecting himself so he wouldn't mess it up, and leaned in close to beg, "Please, don't make me have to break my promise."

After just staring for a long moment, my mom laid back in her bed and began to laugh.

xxXxx

I didn't realize Vivienne had taken me back to my grandfather's mansion until she dragged me down another gravel walkway and inside. The house was deathly quiet, the party over and the gluttonous expanses of useless rooms void of life.

My aunt still had me by the hair, was still shrieking insults at me at a steady rate, and I still hadn't cried a single tear.

By then, I was very well trained in the ancient art of taking a beating.

Grandfather was in his study, sitting in a black leather wingback chair beside the dim fire. Kurt and Corin were standing on either side of him, mismatched and solemn and motionless.

Vivienne brought me before them and threw me down at my Grandfather's feet. He barely even glanced down as I laid there, coughing and choking and trying my hardest to push myself up on weak, trembling arms. The most vivid thing I remember is the rich pattern on the carpet, a plush fleur-de-lis motif in blacks and silvers with dark jade snakes hidden throughout. It was sinister but beautiful.

"Your behavior tonight was absolutely unacceptable," Grandfather stated, wrinkled face and hunched body seeming carved out of stone. "I realize you are at a disadvantage in the civilized wizarding world," He went on coldly, "But you should know better. And that's why you are going to be punished."

I realized what was about to happen and tried my best to scramble away from it. I wasn't fast enough.

The first bolt of magic hit me right in the face. I was blinded by the flash of crimson and, as my vision faded slowly back in, I found that I couldn't move. Pretty much instantly, I began to hyperventilate. It was just like I was back with Bernadette, tied up, about to be beaten with her cane and locked in the closet. I wanted to scream and beg, but... I didn't.

I couldn't breathe, and couldn't take my eyes off the cane gripped idly in my grandfather's wrinkled old hands. I was convinced he was going to use it to beat me. I wish that's all he would have done.

Instead, he raised his wand again and muttered venomously, "_Crucio_!"

I'd never felt pain like that before, white hot and searing through every nerve in my body, making every muscle spasm and lock and every bone feel like it was being snapped and reset, snapped and reset, snapped and reset. I didn't recognize my own screams over the roar of pain ripping through my skull, didn't hear the primal shrieks of sheer agony.

And then it was over. The worst of it was over but I was sobbing so hard I still couldn't breathe, sore and shuddering in an immobile heap on the floor. My chest felt too tight, felt like it was collapsing in response to the crippling ache from the rest of my body. I couldn't catch my breath, couldn't breathe for the longest minutes. Everything hurt and the space around me was growing fuzzy, fuzzy and dim and I could sort of hear low voices, far off and growing fainter as the world spun and swam. I felt the carpet beneath my cheek, felt the rich, soft material against my skin and it felt like ground glass because all my nerve endings were brittle and raw. I couldn't think past pain, past desperately needing to breathe and not being able to, past how unbearable existing felt at that moment. I shivered one last time before fading into blackness.

xxXxx

"I'll do it," My mother announced suddenly at the close of the third day Sirius, James, and Remus spent in her apartment.

They were eating a pizza, quiet and frustrated and depressed, and all three spit out their mouthfuls when they heard what she said.

"What?" Sirius chirped, bounding happily to his feet, "Really? You will? You'll sign them over to me?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?" Momma answered, hugging her skinny midsection and staring at the filthy floor, "But I'm not leaving here so you'll have to bring someone over. And I want a Fidelius done so no one can find me again."

Nodding elatedly and instinctively knowing that Remus had already jumped up to begin the process, Sirius agreed, "Yes! Of course! Whatever you want! Thank you so much, Rose! You don't know what this means to me! I swear I'll take such good care of them!"

She finally glanced up, her blue eyes bloodshot and puffy from crying, and stated softly, "Just don't ever let them come here. I don't ever want them to come here. You tell them that, and that I'm sorry."

Sirius gave a solemn nod, knowing better to argue and knowing that it really was for the best. My mother was not well and he wouldn't have trusted her around us anyhow.

Momma nodded in return, turning around and wandering back into her bedroom in a daze, waiting to sign our lives away for hopefully the last time.

xxXxx

Even though I'd lost consciousness, I hadn't escaped the pain. I don't know how I remember, but I do remember feeling the pain even though sleep should have lifted me away from it.

I woke up exhausted and so sore I couldn't move, so sore I immediately burst into tears. I know I don't cry, but that was... it just hurt so bad. And even I can only take so much.

The dim light of the room was like fire against my closed eyes and I didn't want to open them. But I had to. I had to know where I was, if Grandfather was still there, if I was about go through that horrifying torture yet again.

So I opened my eyes, already half past panicked, sobbing and working myself into a terrified frenzy. I didn't recognize the room, a high, clean white ceiling making my retinas throb, but I did recognize the concerned face that appeared after just a few seconds.

"'mitri," I managed to croak, my throat feeling like it had been skinned and doused with acid, my mouth sluggish and clumsy around my cousin's name.

He smiled soothingly, a forced little one that didn't reach his kind gray-blue eyes. "Shh," He told me quietly, one large hand coming up to carefully brush dark fringe back from my clammy forehead, "Don't try to talk. Just concentrate on breathing. It'll get better in a few minutes." The tall blonde adjusted the hot water bottles against my shoulders, stomach, and thighs.

"It hurts," I whimpered helplessly, overwhelmed and frightened and still shaking all over from a combination of both. A loud sob ripped out of my throat and I got dizzy again just from the pain of it moving through my body.

"I know, little one," Dimitri responded softly, holding my small hand in his, "I know it hurts, but you're past the worst part. Just relax and breathe."

I tried to listen, tried for several long, draining minutes. Nothing seemed to be doing any good. I was still in pain, still scared, still panicking and making it all worse by crying so hard and hysterically.

Eventually, I heard soft little footsteps padding into the room. They felt like hammer blows against my eardrums. "Mr. Dimitri," A small, high-pitched voice stated somewhere below the edge of the bed on which I was lying, "Goba has gotten what you have asked for."

Dimitri smiled down at the voice, stating, "Thank you, Goba." He reached down and, when his hands came back into my sight, he was holding a glass of water and an orange prescription pill bottle.

The door of the room opened and closed again and I just barely caught sight of a little blue elf-like creature before it was gone. I thought I was hallucinating.

"My mother will know if I give you a potion," He explained sheepishly, regretfully, popping open the bottle and shaking out a handful of little white pills. He separated three of them out, continuing, "This muggle stuff should take care of some of the pain without making it too obvious. I'm sorry I can't give you anything more."

With much struggling and spilled water, I eventually swallowed down the pills. I still don't know what they were or how Dimitri got the prescription for them. But they helped a bit. I was still sore but the pills turned it into a dull ache, allowed me to calm down. I was still in pain but gradually numbed up until it was bearable. The medicated fog made it hard to be as scared as I knew I should have been.

"There now," My cousin soothed after about fifteen minutes or so as my sobbing tapered off into sad little sniffles, "Is that a bit better?"

I nodded imperceptibly, just staring up into his open, caring face.

He smiled, almost genuinely that time, and stated, "Good. Is it alright if I look at your stomach? I'd like to make sure you don't have any internal bleeding after getting kicked so many times."

Again, I nodded, my mind finally clear enough to register that I'd been changed into a long white nightgown and clean underwear, presumably not by Dimitri since he professed to not yet have seen the state of my stomach.

My powers of deduction were returning, and that was a good sign.

Dimitri helped me carefully peel my nightgown up to my ribs, hissing beneath his breath as the black and dark purple blotches blooming all across the skin of my tender torso were revealed. I wasn't too impressed; I'd had worse.

He very gently pressed on a few spots in the soft meat of my stomach, just like a doctor would have done if I'd been lying on an exam table. I remember being rather impressed with Dimitri. My two uncles had told me he wanted to be a healer, but he was just fourteen and the fact that he'd already begun training himself was really quite remarkable.

His fingers lingered a little longer than was necessary when he saw the six-inch-long scar on my right side.

Eventually, he gently smoothed by nightgown back into place, gazing down into my eyes as he assured, "I think you'll be fine. Just don't strain yourself for a few days. Is there anything I can get you?"

Taking a deep breath, I crocked, "Noah and Judy."

"I saw them this morning," Dimitri reported quietly, seeming to be off in his own thoughts a bit as he played with a lock of my dark hair, "They're still at Uncle Corin's house with the nanny and they're both fine."

"But I want to see them!" I declared, wincing and growing dizzy as I overexerted myself with the demand.

"Relax, please! And be quiet!" Dimitri whispered, nervously glancing towards the closed door before returning his gaze to me. "They're _fine_," He insisted, "I promise. You won't be allowed to see them until my mother says you've been behaving yourself, and if you yell you'll just get us both in trouble and it will take longer for that to happen."

The tears were coming back into my eyes, stinging at the corners as I swallowed down a lump in my throat and blubbered, "But that's not fair! They're my brother and sister and none of us should be here! Momma and Daddy didn't want us here!! I have to get us away or I've failed everyone!!"

"Shh," My cousin soothed, petting my hair again, shoving another pill in my mouth as he anxiously watched the door, "Don't cry! She'll hear you if you cry and it will make her angry! You're not a failure. And this won't be so bad. Mother's not that horrible if you just do as she says. And I'll be here with you. Haven't you ever wanted an older brother? I think I'd like a younger sister, and we'll be just like that, ok? Everything will be alright. Close your eyes and try to sleep."

The whole situation was like a nightmare I couldn't wake from. I wanted to spring from bed and mount a daring escape; I wanted to get the twins and get out of there, to go home to Sirius.

But whatever Dimitri had given me was strong and it began to make me sleepy. I struggled with the weight of my eyelids for what seemed like hours before finally succumbing once more to the darkness.

xxXxx

Rushing the paperwork through and convincing the necessary officials to come to my mother's apartment took another half a day. Sirius sprinted out of there as soon as he had the signature, leaving Remus and James behind to take care of arrangements for the promised Fidelius while he raced to get the twins and me back.

He went straight to Grandfather's house. Vivienne happened to be there. She slammed the door right in his face.

But Sirius stood outside for about twenty minute, pounding on the thick wood and screaming that he had legal custody of the twins and me, and if they weren't handed over, he was going to come back with a bunch of Ministry goons and aurors. How would she like that, huh? Taste of her own medicine, the prissy bitch!

Sirius always was a colorful fellow.

But, instead of giving in to his demands, my aunt simply left. She went to see my grandfather at a lunch meeting to tell him to tell him what had happened, that he should get right to the Ministry and see if it was true that Sirius had custody, that they needed to fight it if he had. Grandfather wasn't too interested. I think he'd already decided that I was much more trouble than I was worth.

Yay.

But Vivienne wouldn't listen. She sent an owl to Uncle Corin, telling him to hide Noah and Judy. He had no desire to be arrested for unlawful imprisonment and arranged to surrender the twins to Sirius that evening. The reunion was joyous.

But I wasn't with them and that immediately made Sirius panic. He thought I was with the twins and if I wasn't... well, that meant I was still with my evil aunt, who seemed to be the only Nenmoi willing to put up any kind of fight for us.

I guess Noah and Judy were a little too rambunctious for their pureblooded tastes and were also deemed to be not worth the trouble of holding onto.

After grilling Corin for a bit, Sirius got it out of my uncle that I was still probably at Vivienne's house and he led his small squadron of aurors over there.

Unfortunately, all this happened about five hours too late to save me.

"GET UP, YOU STINKING CUNT!!"

Jerking harshly out of a drug-induced stupor, I wrenched my sore stomach instinctively trying to run, fight, do _something_ to defend myself from the abuse I knew was coming.

Sure enough, a heavily-ringed backhand landed against my face as I attempted to rise, snapping my neck sharply and painfully as I fell back into the bed with a strangled sob. A gash across my cheekbone opened up and gushed red into the expensive pillowcases.

Head spinning as I fought down nausea and tears, I barely felt the claw-like fingers close around my right wrist before I was yanked out of my covers and onto the floor. The cuts and scrapes on my legs screamed as I was dragged across the carpet, still louder screams bubbling up out of my hoarse throat without a thought.

"Do you know what runs through your veins, little girl?" My aunt hissed, her face dizzily coming into focus as I realized that she was dangling me in the air by one arm. I couldn't catch my breath and didn't answer quickly enough for her because she shook me hard, shrieking, "DO YOU KNOW WHAT RUNS THROUGH YOUR VEINS?"

I felt my shoulder pop out of place and everything erupted white hot as my own shrieks drowned out the sounds of the world. My legs kicked frantically, like little windmills, and I was sure I was going to throw up from the pain.

Still, I wouldn't let myself pass out. I had no chance of defense if I was unconscious. I didn't really have much of one awake, but it was still there and I had to have that chance.

Grabbing my face with her free hand, she crushed my chin and held my gaze on hers. Her blue eyes were wild with rage as my blood oozed between her thin fingers. "Thousands of years of the history and future of our family pump through you," She hissed venomously, fingers biting into my skin, marking and bruising and making it a point to smear blood all over my face, "You don't get to turn your back on that just because you found some fuck with a motorbike who you like better than us! You don't get to whore yourself like my worthless sisters!"

"Mother!!" Dimitri's voice washed over me a second before he appeared in the doorway, breathing hard and expression fearful, "Mother!! Stop!! Put her down!! Please!!"

The blonde demon did not loose her hold on my contorted arm, not bothering to spare her son so much as a glance as she snarled, "I know you've been helping this little cunt so if you don't want to share her punishment, then go to your room _now_."

I tried to cry out for him to help me, pleaded with my eyes for him to do something, anything. My cousin swallowed hard, looking torn. He wanted to help me, I knew it. I could see it. But he couldn't. He was too afraid.

I was braver than him and I didn't want to be. I didn't want to _have_ to be.

But I was. I _had_ to be.

Dimitri stepped back into the hall. I could sense his presence as he stood just outside the doorway, listening and trying to urge himself to do _something_.

Aunt Vivienne didn't notice him at all as she carried me out of the room, still dangling me by my dislocated arm as she marched along. Her deadly silence was more terrifying than the shouted obscenities. She dragged me up three floors into a dim, cluttered attic. I coughed on the dust hanging in the air, the particles floating through scattered beams of sunlight coming in through cracks in the roof.

The woman quickly hurled me into a corner. I cried out as I landed, all my assorted injuries searing anew. Desperate to get away, I crawled as far away as I could get, into a corner, and I cradled my limp, throbbing arm as I coughed and choked and waited for what would come next.

I don't remember my vision spinning out but it couldn't have been gone long because when it came back my aunt was dragging an old, battered trunk out from behind some assorted junk. She clicked open the lock and threw open the lid.

I caught on to what she was planning and began to scream, clumsily trying and failing to run as my hurting body refused to cooperate.

"Whore," Vivienne spat, stalking dangerously close and then striking in a flash, like a viper killing a rodent, seizing me by the hair again. "I'll keep you locked away like a winter wardrobe before I see you leave us," She snarled, wrestling me closer and closer to the open trunk, closer and closer to the tiny, dark space within it.

I tried and tried to get away, fought with every last ounce of strength I had left in me. But it wasn't enough. She forced me into the trunk despite my kicking and screaming and punching and scratching. She ripped out a handful of my hair and tore off the necklace Bill gave me for my birthday and I managed to put a set of claw marks across her sallow face before she slammed me down and slammed the lid and locked me up tight.

There was nothing but smothering darkness and walls pressing in on me from all sides.

I couldn't make breath flow into my lungs.

I don't remember what happened next.

I don't remember and I don't think I want to.

xxXxx

Five hours later, the twins were safe. Sirius handed them off to Lily when he finally got the lead on my location from Uncle Corin.

With a squadron of aurors, many of them Order members working off the clock, Sirius stormed Vivienne's house.

Aside from the crusted-over fingernail marks across her otherwise immaculate cheek, there was no sign of me anywhere.

With many warded rooms, secret rooms, dungeons, and passageways, there was no way they would have ever found me.

But Dimitri finally came to the rescue.

Having artfully eluded the one junior auror who was supposed to be watching him, my cousin carefully tracked Sirius through the mansion until he finally caught him alone in one of the empty guest bedrooms. "Sir?" He called sheepishly.

Spinning quickly, wiping furiously at his eyes, Sirius answered with a choked, "Ya? What is it, kid?"

Dimitri fidgeted anxiously, checking over his shoulder to make sure Vivienne was nowhere within hearing before he blurted, "I saw Mother take Ivy to the attic."

Within a split second, Sirius was grabbing Dimitri by the arm and dragging him out of the room, hissing, "Show me where."

"Wait," My cousin argued, struggling a bit, "You can't let my mother know that I helped you. She'll kill me."

"Fine," Sirius answered gruffly, letting go of his arm, "Whatever. Just lead the way. And hurry up!"

Deftly avoiding any hallway his mother may have accidentally seen him from, Dimitri steered Sirius up three flights and into the house's old, dusty attic.

I was nowhere in sight.

Reeling on Dimitri, Sirius barked, "This had better not be some kind of joke!"

"It's not!" The tall boy declared, looking around for any signs of me, "I swear, I saw Mother drag Ivy in here and she came out by herself!"

With a noncommittal grunt, Sirius went back to searching the stacks and stacks of old furniture and clothing, knickknacks and various boxes and trunks.

That's when he saw it: my necklace. The pendant was on the ground, the unknotted strip of leather coiled around it.

He quickly scooped it up, starting to believe Dimitri's story now as he furiously searched the stack of heavy trunks right beside where he found the necklace.

He found me in the one at the very bottom of a pile of four. He threw open the lid and there I was, bloody and bruised and curled in a tiny ball. I was unconscious, and the entire inside of the trunk was soaked with blood and torn to shreds.

I don't remember, I don't think I want to, but, apparently, I tried like hell to claw my way out of that trunk and broke off all my fingernails in the process.

"Ivy," Sirius breathed, falling to his knees and carefully lifting my battered body into his arms.

I made no response, my whole face colored and crusted with dried gore.

And then there was a frantic race down the stairs, shouting and cursing and demands for Vivienne to be arrested, to be fucking executed because what kind of sick monster could do that sort of thing to a child?

My aunt was eventually carted off to face charges, but Sirius didn't get the pleasure of watching that. He took me to the hospital and refused to leave my side while the healers treated me, while they popped my shoulder back into place and closed the gash on my face, while they rubbed salves on my expansive bruises and tried everything they knew to coax me out of my complete mental shutdown.

On day two, Sirius got word that the Ministry had released Vivienne, clearing her of all charges.

On day three, he got word that she was in custody again after beating Dimitri to death in a rage.

On day four, I finally opened my eyes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Reviews, as always, are highly appreciated and greatly encouraged. Now that my finals are over and that I'm on my spring break, I will hopefully have some time to update as many of my stories as possible, so stay tuned for more over the next week!!


	13. Part 13: Internal Combustion

Part 13 - Internal Combustion

Dimitri Aleksey Dolohov's funeral was small and private and I didn't cry even though I desperately wanted to.

Grandfather stood near the back, leaning silently against his cane.

Uncle Kurt and Uncle Corin were there, along with their wives and children. My younger cousins were an interesting gaggle of towheaded blondes. Elysia and Belinda, Kurt's eight and seven-year-old daughters daintily dabbed their ice blue eyes with expensive embroidered handkerchiefs. Corin's brood, six-year-old Sasha and the two-year-old twins, Henry and Hazel, whimpered and sobbed between short-tempered shushes from their pregnant mother.

Dimitri's father, Antonin Dolohov, took the morning off of work to supervise his son's casket being lowered into the ground.

The murderess was blessedly absent.

My right arm was in a sling. I could only hold Noah's hand as we paid our respects to our cousin so Judy held on to his other one. They both cried all through the ceremony. Dimitri'd been as kind to them as he'd been to me and they didn't want him to go to heaven yet. "Why did God have to take him back just when we finally found him?" They kept asking me; it wasn't fair and I had to try to explain to them that nothing in life ever is.

The whole tragedy didn't make sense to me. Dimitri was so much bigger than Vivienne. How was it possible for her to have beaten him to death?

I was also angry. How could he just let her beat him to death? He was bigger than her, damnit! He could have fought her! He could have fought back!! Why didn't he fight?

"Ivy?" Sirius questioned quietly, laying a broad hand on my uninjured shoulder as he saw me taking in big gasping breaths. I couldn't breathe again, felt like I hadn't been able to catch my breath since Sirius told me.

"I'm ok," I answered, my voice a low croak by the time it forced its way past the choking lump high in my throat.

Vivienne Dolohov beat her son to death in a fit of rage. It was my fault.

Dimitri helped Sirius find me. She found out what he did and, just like he said she would, that woman killed my cousin.

The guilt and sadness were crippling. I couldn't breathe, couldn't cry, couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat and I couldn't make everything stop feeling so terrible.

"I'm ok," I repeated, devastated, hurt, furious at the whole world. I turned away from the grim, ridiculously composed procession, from my sweet big cousin's fresh grave, and asked, "Can we please go home now?"

Sirius gave a nod, his fingers finding their way into my choppy hair and tenderly combing through it. "Of course, kiddo," He responded quietly, steering the twins and me away from the funeral party, "Let's go home."

xxXxx

Over the course of Vivienne's speedy sham of a trail, information came to light surrounding devastating mental illness that ran wild in the women on my mother's side. Vivienne's lawyer cited my grandmother's suicide following a violent mental collapse, as well as speculation about my own mother's state of mind.

My aunt was sentenced to an indefinite stay in a cushy nuthouse and I no longer believed in God or justice.

The night after the sentencing, about a two days after the funeral and a week after Sirius rescued us, I still wasn't sleeping, instead spending nights huddled on the floor between my brother's and sister's beds, watching over them, guarding them as they slept. It wasn't that much of a problem to me. I knew everyone was worried about how I was taking everything--and they didn't even know about my nighttime vigils--but they weren't bothering me to talk about it just yet.

However, that night I suddenly felt... terrified. I was utterly terrified to be by myself and didn't entirely understand why.

Shivering uncontrollably, doing my best to blink back the tears stinging in my eyes, I made my way like usual to the twins' room.

I checked on Noah and Judy, because I had to make sure they were both alright. My concern for the pair was bordering on compulsion but I couldn't help it. I couldn't handle either of them being hurt. ever.

But they were fine, just like all the other nights. They were asleep in their beds. Noah was strangling a little teddy bear he'd gotten from one of the rescuers and Judy was sprawled haphazardly, her blankets flung to the floor. I tucked her back in. I kissed them both and then something... some restlessness and terror for my own safety tore me away.

I should have gone back to my room but I couldn't. I was so scared, so panicked, and I did the only thing I could think of: I went to Sirius.

He was asleep as well, sprawled on his stomach across his whole big mattress, snoring and drooling like a great big dog. I stood beside his bed for a few moments, reluctant to wake him because... I wasn't exactly sure what was wrong. I didn't want to be a bother.

I debated internally for a few moments, hugging myself tightly and hardly able to breathe from holding back tears, from the uncontrollable shakes that had a violent hold on my little body. Finally, I decided not to bug him. It was bad enough I clung fiercely to his side during the day, not to mention got him to install extra-strength locks and security charms on all the windows and doors. He didn't need to have to deal with me at night as well; he didn't need to lose sleep. I turned to leave.

But the floorboard squeaked, loud and shrill and I just barely resisted the urge to scream. As it was, the noise had already woken Sirius, sending him jolting awake and looking wildly about for some attacker.

His gaze fell on me and immediately softened. "Hey, kiddo," He greeted, voice low and gravelly with sleep as he rolled to his side and beckoned me forward, "Are you alright?"

"I-I-" I answered quietly, slowly drifting towards him and eventually allowing myself to be trapped in a loving hug. Relief washed over me. I pressed my face against Sirius' soft t-shirt, drawing his dark, clean scent into my lungs as I mumbled, "I'm scared."

"Oh," He answered, picking me up and tucking me into bed beside him, squeezing me close, rubbing my back in an attempt to soothe the full-body shakes, "Well, you've got nothing to be scared of, love. You're safe. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you ever again."

Still fighting back tears even as my eyelids suddenly turned heavy, I whimpered, "You promise?"

"Of course," He instantly replied, tenderly petting back my choppy hair and kissing my forehead, "Now, come on and get some sleep. Me and you will talk in the morning."

I nodded imperceptibly, closing my fists around Sirius' t-shirt and holding on for dear life even as the trembling finally began to lessen and I drifted off into fitful dreams.

xxXxx

I tried to talk. I did. But every time I made an attempt at getting the words out, they seemed to close my throat. I spent more weeks in completely terror, alternately sitting up awake in the twins' room or crawling into Sirius' bed; I was only able to sleep if I was in Sirius' bed because he was now the only person I trusted to keep me safe. I was anxious all the time, compulsive about watching over Noah and Judy and even Sirius to some extent. I couldn't stand to have any of them away from me for very long and I had to know where they were at all times. I didn't want anymore of the people I loved to be ripped away from me.

Sirius and the rest of the adults were really starting to worry about me. While they could understand my fears, they knew that getting past them would be crucial to the healing process. They decided it would be good for me to spend some time away from the house in the hopes that it would make me realize I no longer had anything to be afraid of.

I was far less than thrilled about this plan.

"No," I whined, acting as Sirius' shadow as he bustled about the kitchen preparing us our breakfast. Noah and Judy were on the floor near the table, bickering in gibberish; I was holding tight to the back of Sirius' worn t-shirt and refusing to let go. "I don't want to go," I told him, sounding utterly pitiful as I followed him around the cheery space, "Please, let's just stay home. Nothing bad's going to happen if we just stay home."

"And nothing bad's going to happen if we just go to James' for the afternoon," Sirius retorted, not seeming at all bothered by having me clinging so tight to him. He turned and shot me a bright grin, dropping a kiss on the top of my head before he went back to flipping pancakes like I taught him; he was getting almost good at it, "Really, kiddo. I promise. I have legal custody of you three. You know James' is well-protected. No one's going to have the balls to try to hurt you and even if they did, there's no way in hell anyone, least of all me would let them get the chance."

I did not accept this reassurance, unshed tears of frustration and terror and panic burning in my eyes as I pleaded, "Please, don't make me. I want us to stay here."

Silent but hurried, Sirius transferred the pancakes onto plates, then wiped his hands on a dishtowel and turned to fully face me. He knelt down to my level, so that we were eye-to-eye, and he stared at me for a very long time.

I could feel my bottom lip begin to tremble.

Sirius put his strong arms around me, crushing my thin body against his massive one and allowing me to bury my face into the crook of his neck. My breathing was coming very rapidly, my back shaking as Sirius rubbed gentle circles in an attempt to calm me down. "I'm never going to make you do anything you don't want, but you know I love you, right, kiddo?" He said very seriously, mumbling the words into my dark, choppy hair.

I gave a mute nod, not bothering to pick my head up as I wound my arms around his neck and held on for dear life.

"And you know I only want what's good for you?" He continued, just the deep timber of his voice managing to make me feel loved and protected.

I nodded once more.

Sirius squeezed me closer, sighing deeply. "So you have to trust me," He said, "You have to trust that I'm doing the best I can and that it's all for you... ok?"

I couldn't do anything but nod, but agree to trust in Sirius because I really did, with all my heart. He was my savior, my protector, my hero.

xxXxx

And so began the first of what turned out to be many afternoons spent at the Potter house. For the first day or two, I refused to leave Sirius' side or to let the twins out of my sight for even a second. I felt stupid and irrational and weak but it was better than feeling worried and panicked and terrified.

Everyone was very patient with me but I could tell they were a bit frustrated by my behavior. Sirius spent a lot of time trying to coax me into just letting him go to the bathroom without standing on the other side of the door near tears. It was even more of a struggle to try to get me to allow Lily to take the twins outside to play with Harry; I didn't want them to go if I couldn't go as well, if I couldn't drag Sirius along and watch over all three.

After the fifth straight day of having to deal with me in that state, I could tell Sirius was physically and emotionally exhausted.

That's why I felt absolutely horrible when I panicked in the middle of the night and had to seek him out. I knew it wasn't fair of me to keep waking him up--even though I'd managed to get better about sneaking in without disturbing him at all. I didn't want to keep demanding his undivided time and attention, but I didn't know what else I could do to make the terror go away.

Close to two in the morning, I padded silently across the dark landing to the closed door of his bedroom and, just like every other night, I turned the knob to open it.

That night, it was locked.

I stood there for awhile just trying to understand the situation. When I did, I collapsed right in front of the door, curling into a tiny ball and trembling uncontrollably.

Sirius was obviously angry at me for how I was behaving. I didn't want to annoy him anymore by waking him up but I desperately wanted to be there first thing so that I could apologize and beg for forgiveness, beg him not to get rid of me.

At nine o'clock in the morning, I heard the funny chicken alarm clock Sirius kept on his bedside table begin crowing for him to get up. I heard him curse mildly--he was trying to clean his language up for the twins and me--and smash a fist down to quiet the device. I heard him shuffle tiredly towards the door, coming to wake us kids for breakfast like he always did.

He nearly tripped over me. I didn't uncurl or pick my head, but I heard him stumble and I heard him gasp, "Ivy!" I heard a loud crack as his knee came down harder than it should have onto the flooring. I felt his arms close around my shaking form, felt him press his palm against my forehead to check for a fever as he demanded, "What are you doing? What's the matter? Are you alright?"

"I-I'm sorry!" I cried out, bursting into tears without warning or conscious thought. I hardly cry--almost never since I was a baby and certainly not for a very long time before meeting Sirius--but that moment and everything leading up to it had once again proven to be too much for me to take, had once again driven me over the edge. For all my intelligence, all the responsibility that had been heaped on my shoulders from a young age, I was still just eleven-years-old; I was still just a kid.

"What?" Sirius answered, hugging me fiercely, petting my hair, kissing my temple, "What are you sorry for? You haven't done anything wrong!"

Sobbing hysterically, I refused to look up as I blubbered, "I didn't mean to bug you! I promise I-I'll try to stop! Don't be mad at me! Don't send me away!"

"Hey, hey," Sirius answered sternly, pulling me into his lap and holding me close, "You don't bug me, I'm not mad at you, and I'm not sending you away! Where did you get those ideas?"

Unable to catch my breath long enough to answer, I continued to weep into his t-shirt, shaking terribly.

"Shhh," Sirius soothed, never letting go of my small body as he rocked me patiently, helping me to slowly calm myself down, "It's ok, kiddo. It's ok. I'm right here. Deep breaths. Come on. You're ok."

After nearly half an hour, I was finally down to whimpering little sniffles, with an occasional wet hiccup thrown in for good measure. I wasn't trembling quite so violently anymore.

Sirius kissed my forehead, and I finally realized that he was humming his disjointed little tune, the one I still don't know the name of but still find myself randomly crooning to myself. I felt the vibrations through his chest and my shakes subsided further.

We sat in stunned silence for a few moments, just the humming to fill the room.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Sirius asked quietly, not letting go, sounding nothing but worried.

I hiccupped into his shoulder, mumbling an inaudible answer into the soft fabric of the goofy cartoon character shirt he liked to wear to bed.

"Got to do better than that, kiddo," Sirius stated, an almost-smile in his coaxing voice, "Come on, pick your head up. Let me see that gorgeous mug."

Laughing weakly at the fact that anyone would call me gorgeous, even as a joke, I slowly sat up and turned by tear-filled eyes to Sirius.

He grinned, pressing his forehead against mine. "There it is," He beamed, cuddling me reassuringly, "Now, can you tell me what's wrong?"

Embarrassed and still quite anxious, I quietly admitted, "Y-Your door was locked... I thought you were mad at me."

Sirius immediately frowned. "I'm sorry, love," He cooed, giving me a comforting squeeze, "I lock it when I shower so that none of you kids comes in and ends up getting an eyeful of something you shouldn't. I must've forgotten to unlock it again before I got into bed."

"Oh," I responded, feeling drained and suddenly very tired, not to mention stupid for overreacting and jumping to conclusions. It became difficult to keep my eyes open as Sirius allowed me to cuddle up beneath his stubbly chin but I forced myself to stay awake, clinging to his broad shoulders as I tentatively questioned, "You sure you're not mad at me? I'm sorry for bugging you. I'm really trying to stop but I keep getting scared."

"I know, kiddo," He soothed, his arms tightening, "I'm not mad and you don't bug me at all. I don't ever want you to think that. This kind of stuff is what I'm here for and we're going to get through it together. You're stuck with me now."

I was satisfied with the answer, letting out a relieved breath as I finally fell into the blessed blackness of sleep.

xxXxx

I woke up in my own bed for the first time since coming home and was so disoriented that I immediately fell out of it. The sun was high and bright outside my closed curtains and the house was quiet and I didn't allow myself even a second of motionless shock. I bolted up from the floor and ran to find Sirius and the twins.

Noah and Judy were napping on a blanket on the floor in the living room, snuggled together and looking like they'd been exhausted by an exciting morning of playing with Sirius if the mess of scattered toys all around the pair was any indication.

Satisfied that they were fine, I ran into the kitchen to find their big playmate. I relaxed as soon as I saw him seated at the table, fidgeting with a small metallic object I couldn't quite see.

Sirius grinned when he noticed me, quickly pocketing the object and beckoning me over with a bright, "Hey, kiddo. Sleep well?"

"Mhmm," I answered, nearly tripping into a tight hug. I sighed happily, perfectly content.

Chuckling, Sirius hugged me back and declared, "Well, I'm glad to hear it. Are you hungry?"

I shook my head, not wanting to let go for anything.

"You think you might be in twenty minutes or so?" The man questioned, lifting me to sit on his lap as he flashed a charming smile and planted a noisy kiss on my cheek, "I ordered pizza."

"Ok," I responded, warming up to the idea, knowing Sirius would worry if I kept refusing to eat.

"Good," He said, standing from the table and taking me with him as he marched into the other room, "Then I've got something to show you while we wait."

Sirius joked and tickled me lightly as he walked, carrying me up the stairs and across the landing until we were in front of his bedroom door. He set me down and took a knee at my side, grabbing the door and making sure that I saw him engage the lock before he shut it.

My confusion must have shown on my face because Sirius chuckled when he turned back to me, instructing, "Check it."

I did, discovering that it was locked thoroughly. I looked back to Sirius and waited for whatever the point of this exercise was.

Grinning, he reached into his pocket and produced the small object he'd been playing with earlier at the table; I realized in just an instant that it was my pocketknife, the one I'd gotten from my daddy. I'd been meaning to ask Sirius for it but the right time never seemed to present itself.

Sirius flicked open one of the blades and slid it deftly into the crack between the door and the doorjamb. "Lily asked me to hold onto this for you," He told me, jiggling the knife beside the handle, "I figured you might want it back... and I hope you don't mind that I added a little something."

The lock popped quietly and Sirius opened the door with a triumphant smile.

I blinked, slightly confused.

"It's a magical attachment," Sirius explained, holding the blade out for inspection, looking a little nervous that I might be upset about him altering my possession, "Unlocks any lock."

He turned the blade around before transferring it to me by the handle and locking and shutting the door once again. Nodding towards it, he instructed, "Give it a try."

I did, mimicking what I'd seen from Sirius. The lock clicked after just a few moments and the door opened once more. I was fairly amazed.

"Now, mind," He warned me lightly, "I don't want you bursting in on me while I'm in the shower, unless it's some huge emergency, but if you're ever locked out in the middle of the night again and I don't wake when you knock, you can let yourself in."

I smiled, giving Sirius a big hug as I whispered, "Thank you."

"My pleasure, love," He replied, crushing me tightly for a few moments before pulling back and beaming. He reached back into his pocket and removed a neat black case that I was to discover contained a nice set of lock picks. "Want to learn how to do it the muggle way, too?" He offered, tugging me to sit on his knee as he unfurled the case on the floor, "Never know when it might come in handy."

Eager for anything Sirius wanted to teach me, I nodded and grinned.

xxXxx

I picked up lock picking (excuse the pun) very quickly. After a lengthy and fascinating explanation of how locks work, of cylinders and pins and raking and torque, Sirius handed me a pick and a tension wrench and set me loose. I was cracking into his bedroom all on my own by the time our pizza arrived. Sirius was certainly amazed, proclaiming for the hundredth time that I was an amazing genius and that he was proud as hell. He promised me a set of picks for my own before sending me to wake the twins while he paid for our late lunch.

The remainder of the day was fairly uneventful and I almost managed to sleep an entire night in my own bed. At 3:28 in the morning, I woke with a disturbing thought: if getting past locks was so easy, then what was to stop bad people from getting in the house and hurting us?

I jumped up and ran for Sirius' room, not bothering to be quiet as I thundered in and dove beneath his covers.

"Whuh the... Ivy?" He grunted, blinking heavily through the fuzzy morning light as I situated myself beneath one of his heavy arms. It only took him a moment to close me in a tender hug, brushing a kiss against my forehead as he sighed, "What is it, kiddo? You alright?"

"Do other people have magic knives that open doors?" I whispered, scared of being overheard for some odd, most likely irrational reason, "Do they know how to pick locks, too?"

I sensed rather than saw Sirius frown in confusion as he replied, "Some, I guess. Not too many though. You have to have a good connection to get the blades since they're slightly illegal and picking isn't as easy as you make it look, love." At the feel of the chilling shudder that went down my spine, Sirius squeezed me tighter and asked, "Why? What's wrong?"

"What if someone breaks in here?" I whispered, hiding my face against his warm chest.

He chuckled lightly, holding me close and soothing, "Not going to happen. The doors are all charmed, and we've got security even past those. I saw to that. No need to worry, kiddo, because no one's getting in here who we don't want. We're all safe."

I let out a shaky, relieved breath, finally relaxing into Sirius' embrace. Laughing tiredly, he hugged me and settled us down into the covers, proclaiming, "Good. Now that that's all settled, what do you say to a few more hours of sleep?"

"Ok," I breathed, already half gone as my eyes slid shut.

xxXxx

The next afternoon, Sirius' piled the twins and me onto his motorbike and we set off for the Potter house. Halfway there, Scarlet began to protest and we just barely made it to the ground before she shut down with a clanking, guttural moan.

"Must be the crankshaft," Sirius mused as he loaded the twins down to the dusty drive and set them off running for the house, "Or maybe the piston rings..."

Noticing me fidget as I warred internally over whether to go after Noah and Judy or stay with him, Sirius grinned and swung me to stand at the side of the bike. "Do you know how an engine works?" He asked.

I shook my head, turning to watch the twins galloping towards the house. "NOAH! JUDY!" I called anxiously after them, "WAIT!"

"Do you want me to teach you?" Sirius offered, running his blunt fingers through my hair as his gray eyes danced with mirth.

It was a sorely tempting offer because I did love to learn and the bike had certainly grown on me as the weeks went on. Another glance in the direction of the house revealed that James and Remus had emerged and each had scooped up one of the twins, James tossing Judy high into the air as Remus patiently listened to Noah's counting; he was up into the fifties and picking up speed.

James and Remus waved brightly to Sirius and me. "So?" Sirius teased, setting the kickstand before dismounting. I turned back to the twins, seeing them and the two men they were with wave. Remus gestured that they were going to go back inside the house, waiting patiently for my permission or denial or frantic sprint to catch up.

Panic leapt into my throat, high and bitter, but... it only took me a few moments to swallow it back down, to remind myself that nothing was going to happen to my brother or sister inside the Potter house. No one was going to let them be hurt.

"Ok," I murmured, my voice just loud enough to be heard by Sirius and my facial expressions just animated enough to be read by Remus. I watched Noah and Judy getting carried inside the house and, despite my own resolve, could not help it when my breathing turned rapid and labored, when a cold sweat broke out on my forehead. I was about three seconds away from a very severe anxiety attack.

"Excellent," Sirius replied, plopping down into the dirt on his butt. The action reminded me a lot of the twins and that just brought the choking lump of panic and grief back into my throat. "C'mere, kiddo," Sirius continued, tugging me down into his lap and hugging me tightly when he felt the tremors coursing through me. He kissed my cheek and his voice was low and gentle and understanding when he announced, "I'll teach you some of the basics while we're waiting for everything to cool down and then you can help me fix Scarlet."

He regarded me carefully for a moment before asking, "Alright?"

Swallowing thickly as my eyes burned, I nodded.

"Great," He responded, picking up a stick and using it to draw diagrams into the dirt, "Now, the way an engine gets power is through something called 'internal combustion.' Have you ever made a potato gun?"

I forced a weak giggle, reminding him, "You and James showed me how to make one last week, remember? Lily got mad because you guys shot out a window."

I could feel Sirius' smile against my neck as he continued, "Oh ya. Well, anyways, an engine works sort of the same way as a potato gun..."

xxXxx

The Potato Gun Analogy gave way to an in-depth explanation about the inner-workings of a motorcycle engine and other necessary components. I absorbed all of Sirius' teachings like a sponge and, very soon, the machine was deemed cool enough to begin our work. Sirius produced a toolbox from an enchanted compartment and we dove right into it. He handed me a wrench and kneeled behind me to give instructions as we disassembled most of the bike.

About an hour later, with half the pieces of the contraption neatly laid out across a blue tarp at our side, Sirius and I had completely exposed the engine and found the problem. "Huh," He said, big hands slippery with grease as he fumbled around inside the machine with a pair of pliers. After a brief moment, he produced a mangled, melted doll's head from inside the piston cylinder.

We stared at each other in silence for a few brief moments, both covered head to toe in oil and filth, and then we began to laugh.

To this day, I still haven't figured out how Judy got the damn thing wedged so far into the bike's engine. She denies having had anything to do with it, of course, but one look at Noah says different. He never could tell a lie to save his life and, when the subject comes up, he stares at his feet, and hunches up his shoulders, and tries not to be called on to rat out his sister.

I usually give him a break. He's such a good little boy and Judy's crimes are fairly blatant without having to make Noah feel guilty for selling her out. After Sirius and I put the bike back together, cleaning everything as we progressed--an hour long feat that I greatly enjoyed--the twins got a stern talking to about messing around with the machine and then it was time for a late lunch.

I felt a lot better than I had in weeks, relaxed and happy. I still couldn't quite get onboard when Lily wanted to take Noah and Judy to play outside with Harry, but I allowed them pretty much free reign of the inside of the house; I allowed them into another room and completely out of my sight for the better part of an hour. I didn't freak out when Sirius got up from the Exploding Snap game he and I were playing with James in order to go to the bathroom. At dinner, I sat between Remus and Lily and they told me lots of embarrassing stories about Sirius and James when they'd been at school called Hogwarts. It sounded like a fun place and the adults informed me that I would probably receive a letter some time in the summer inviting me to attend. I was excited at the thought of learning how to do magic. That just seemed like the coolest thing ever.

The evening pressed on into darkness and, before long, all of the babies were cranky and falling asleep on their feet so it was time to go. We said our goodbyes and Sirius piled the twins and I back onto Scarlet and we set off for home. By the time we got there, Noah and Judy were both out cold and got promptly pajamaed and tucked in for the night.

Usually, Sirius and I would play a few games of pool before I went to bed but I was so tired that I was falling down, too. The third time I tripped over the slightly-too-long hem of my pajama pants, Sirius shot out to catch me. "Whoa, kiddo," He chuckled softly, swinging me up into his arms and pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead, "I think maybe it's your bedtime as well."

I didn't argue, cuddling into his strong chest as he carried me towards my room.

He was humming again, deep and even, alternately playing with my short hair and rubbing my back with the arm that wasn't being used to support the rest of me. "Bill Weasley's been asking about you," Sirius casually remarked, "He told his uncles to tell me to tell you that he hopes you're feeling better and he still has your book."

I stayed quiet but thoughts of my friend brought a sleepy smile to my face. "Can he come over and play some time?" I asked as Sirius lowered me carefully into my bed and brought my covers all the way up to my chin.

"Of course, kiddo," He smiled, smoothing my bangs, pressing another kiss to my forehead, "He can come tomorrow, if you'd like. I'll owl his mum, alright?"

I nodded and yawned and shut my eyes, snuggling contentedly into the warmth of the blankets.

"Sweet dreams, love," I heard as I drifted off to sleep.

xxXxx

_I dreamed about Dimitri. Everything was dark and then suddenly he was just there, standing in front of me looking__ exactly how I remembered him._

_Only he was dead, blood and bruises and mortal wounds standing starkly from the coffin white of his skin. His dark blonde hair was free from its usual ponytail and matted with earth and gore, like he'd crawled straight from his grave to my mind. He didn't say anything, just looked over his hulking shoulder towards the va__st expanse of darkness beyond._

_His look drew mine and I saw that the darkness wasn't so dark anymore. I could see more people standing behind him. They were... everyone. Everyone I loved, the twins, Sirius, James, __Remus__, Lily, Harry, Bill, his family, Daddy, Momma, J... everyone. And they were__ all dead._

_It's... hard to describe. For all the vividness of the gruesome massacre, it was still so... vague... just this mass of carnage and blood and limbs everywhere I looked. And I couldn't stop looking, growing colder and more nauseas by the second. My throat burned with screams I was deaf to in the smothering darkness._

I flew awake screaming and Sirius was there in what seemed like seconds, nearly tripping as he barreled through the door. "What is it?" He demanded, panicked, "What's wrong?"

I couldn't stop screaming.

"Ivy," He called, folding me tightly into his arms, "Love, what happened? Are you hurt? Sick?"

I clung to him fiercely, mashing my face into his chest in order to muffle the screams that just _would not stop_.

"Shhh," Sirius cooed, sounding frankly quite terrified even as he tried to get me to calm down, "Don't worry, kiddo. Whatever it is, I got you. I got you, ok? You're safe."

I didn't want to keep screaming but the screams were there, built up inside me, and they were going off whether I liked it or not. It was like the internal combustion Sirius had taught me about that day: the fuel had been lit and the force had to go somewhere. If I didn't scream out everything that had happened, if I didn't let that force escape, then I was going to explode.

After nearly ten minutes of shrieking nonstop, I heard a faint call of, "I-Ivy?"

"Go back to bed, guys," Sirius answered kindly, gently rubbing my back, "Everything's fine. Ivy just had a bad dream."

My screams tapered into sobs because I knew that Noah and Judy were standing there in the doorway. Noah was in his blue feetie pajamas, Judy in her motorcycle ones, and they were holding hands because they did when they were scared and I was scaring them. I knew they wouldn't be satisfied with Sirius' explanation.

Sure enough, a few moments later I heard the scramble of little feet and felt the bed dip with two tiny weights. I was still crying but trying desperately to get a hold of myself as the twins hugged me from either side.

"It's ok, Ivy," Noah soothed sweetly, burrowing against my side, "Bad dweams can't huwt you."

"Ya," Judy agreed, voice uncharacteristically unbitchy as she patted my leg, "Dreams aren't real, 'member? You said so!"

I did remember. It was just a dream. It wasn't real. The bloodbath was a product of my overactive imagination. No one was going to hurt my family because, goddamnit, I _wasn't_ going to let them.

Dimitri died because he had no one to protect him. That was never again going to happen to someone I loved.

I took a deep, shuddering breath.

xxXxx

Sirius and I didn't sleep that night. We stayed up with cocoa and cold pizza and I told him about my dream. I told him that I was so afraid. I told him that it was my fault Dimitri died. I told him how angry I was at my cousin for letting Vivienne kill him.

"It's not your fault and it's not his, either," Sirius insisted, holding me close as we gazed out at the mid-morning fog through one of the big windows in the living room, "That horrible woman is the only person to blame."

"She killed him because he helped you save me," I argued weakly, my throat hoarse from all the screaming and talking, "And he was so much bigger than her... why didn't he fight harder?"

Sirius sighed. "I can't really explain that, kiddo," He told me softly, "My guess would be that he loved his mum, despite everything she'd done, and he didn't want to hurt her."

"It's not fair," I sniffled, burying my face against his chest, "He was nice. He was going to grow up to be a healer. He would have been really good at it."

"I know, love," Sirius answered, holding me tighter, "I'm sorry."

That's when Bill fell out of the fireplace, a spluttering mass of red hair and gangly little boy limbs. I watched, somewhat perplexed by his presence, as the freckled youngster finally struggled dizzily to his feet and shook himself off in a great cloud of dust.

"Shit," Sirius swore quietly, "Forgot he was coming over."

I had, too, but that didn't dampen my enthusiasm for seeing my friend. He was just the right medicine for my blue mood.

We smiled when we finally came face-to-face, Bill giving a bright cry of, "Hi, Ivy! Sorry for being a little late. I was watching Ronnie and Ginevra so that my mum could have a shower before I left, seeing as how I wouldn't be there for awhile to help her. I think Charlie and Percy have got things under control though, as long as they don't join in any of Fred and George's trouble. They do that sometimes and it usually doesn't end too well but I told them all that they needed to behave today since I wouldn't be there because I was coming over here to play with you. What do you want to do first? I have your book, so we could read, but I also brought wizard chess and exploding snap and some brooms if you want to try quidditch again."

Holy hell. I don't know how it was possible, but he got all of that out in just one long breath. My head spun vicariously and I was, once again, newly surprised at just how fast my friend could talk.

"Um..." I stated carefully, "I guess... we can do whatever you want."

He grinned, fishing into the magically-expanded depths of the pockets of his enchanted pants as he declared, "I think we should read first! I really want to know what happens in the next book and I've been waiting for you to find out!"

"Ok," I agreed, smiling softly.

Sirius hefted himself up from the couch, giving my hair a fond tousle as he declared, "I'll get you some snacks and see to getting Noah and Judy up. Have fun, kiddo."

Bill bounced right into the vacated seat, cracking open my brand new copy of _Prince Caspian_ as he asked, "Do you want to read first or should I?"

"You can," I answered happily. I really liked it when Bill read to me. He did all the voices much better than I did.

"Ok!" The boy chirped, settling down and beginning, "Chapter One: The Island. _Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, and it has been told in another book called _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe how they had a remarkable adventure..."

xxXxx

We read three chapters that morning before the hurricane I call brother and sister came storming downstairs with the powerful need for food and entertainment. It would have been fairly pointless to even try to continue with the story so, instead, we all went into the kitchen where Bill and I helped Sirius make chocolate-chip-peanut-butter-marshmallow-fluff waffles.

Due to the high sugar content of our late breakfast, all five of us suddenly found ourselves completely hyper. "Let's go outside!" Sirius beamed, tossing my shrieking baby sister high up into the air, "It's too nice a day to stay indoors and I fancy a bit of flying!"

"Ya!" Bill heartily agreed, "That sounds awesome! You can help me teach Ivy! She was pretty good for a beginner!"

"I wanna fly!" Noah chimed, clambering into my lap and giving a big, drippy smile, "Can I fly, too? Please, Ivy?"

"Alright, No," I laughed, joyously swinging the adorable boy through the kitchen and out the back door, into the sunlight that was just burning through the low clouds, "But you have to hold on tight if I let Sirius take you for a ride."

He gave a giggle and a nod, chirping, "Ya! Just like the motowcycle!"

"Just like that!" I laughed, stopping to wait in the grass as Sirius fetched his broom and Bill wrestled two smaller ones out of the depths of his always amusing enchanted pants. Before long, I was hovering a bit off the ground, Bill coaching me from beside, atop his own perch, and Sirius standing on the other.

"You're doing great, kiddo!" Sirius encouraged, "Just hold on tight and go for it!"

"Use your body to steer!" Bill contributed, zipping off on a small lap of us before turning up back at my side. He grinned brightly and added, "Just like that!"

"_Just like that_," I teased, giggling and trying to calm my nerves. I distinctly remembered that my last experience on a broom had ended in a series of unintentional loop-de-loops and a rather ungentle fall straight onto my butt.

But I tried to be brave and... it kind of worked. I was wobbly but managed not to fall or to go shooting off accidentally. Before too long, I was unsteadily chasing Bill all over the grassy lawn while Sirius took the twins zipping high up into the air. It was all great, the most I'd had since those Ministry goons snatched me weeks ago.

I lasted ten minutes before crashing spectacularly and skinning my knee. It didn't really hurt. I sat up and brushed myself off just as Bill touched down at my side.

"Are you ok?" He asked, eyes widening when he saw the blood on my knobby knee, "You're bleeding!"

"Doesn't hurt," I responded happily, shaking my shaggy short hair to get some stray twigs out of it.

"You should still let me heal you," He responded very importantly, setting his broom aside and digging in his magically expanded pockets. A few moments later, the boy produced an old tin coffee can and popped it open as he stated, "My brothers hurt themselves sometimes when we're out playing so Uncle Gid and Uncle Fabe helped me make some sticky healing potion strips to carry with me so that I could take care of the little stuff by myself without having to bug Mum. It's a lot faster this way. I got the idea when I saw a muggle girl fall down at the park and her dad had a sticky thing to put on her elbow."

"They're called band-aids," I told my friend, watching as he took out a cloth and carefully wiped the blood off my knee, "They don't heal anything but they keep cuts from getting infected or dirty."

"That's wicked! I'll have to tell Dad!" He chirped brightly, giving the scrape one last clinical inspection before peeling a little flesh-colored patch off of its paper backing and sticking it to my knee. "Mine are better though," The redhead bragged as he fastened the strip into place, "This'll be all gone in a few minutes."

"Thanks," I said, smiling sweetly up at him as all lingering pain faded slowly away.

He grinned back, face turning quite pink as he stated, "You're welcome."

"What's going on?" Sirius' slightly suspicious voice interrupted as he flew up beside us.

"I crashed," I told him plainly, "I scraped my knee but Bill healed me. I'm fine."

"That's good to hear," Sirius stated, leaning over to check my friend's work. "Good work, Weasley," He finally, grudgingly complimented, pouting over, presumably, the fact that he hadn't been the one to heal me.

I got back to my feet, brushing off my backside and recovering my broom. "Want to race?" I offered excitedly as I watched Bill do the same.

He grinned. "Sure," The boy answered, enthusiastic as he gave my shoulder a playful nudge, "But I'm just going to beat you."

"We'll see about that," I laughed, quickly mounting and adding, "First one around the house wins!" I took off without a backwards glance.

"HEY!" Bill shouted, his voice carrying on the wind along with Sirius' barking laugh, "NO FAIR!!" He darted after me.

We spent a bright, brilliant summer afternoon zipping all around the grounds of Sirius' house and it remains to this day one of my fondest memories. For awhile, things really did seem like they were going to be ok.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ta da! Hope you kiddies liked this one. Sorry it took so long and I have no idea when I'm going to be posting updates on anything. I go back to school on Saturday and I have a job this year on top of my usual full course load. Wish me luck and I would love some reviews!


	14. Part 14: Separation Anxiety

Part 14 - Separation Anxiety

"Bill!" I cried out, watching the redheaded boy climb higher and higher, wanting to look away but unable to because if I took my eyes off him for even a second, he was going to fall. "Come back!" I ordered, frantic and fretful, "It's just a stupid ribbon!! I-I don't even like it!!"

He grinned down at me through the branches, through the vivid green of the leaves and of his striking eyes that seemed to have enveloped Ottery St. Catchpole. "I can get it, Ivy," he stated proudly, pointing to a ridiculously high perch more than halfway up a huge oak in the forest behind his home, "It's just right there." The high, hot winds that had snatched the ribbon from my hair in the first place blew again, pushing choppy dark locks into my dark eyes and making Bill sway precariously. The length of red satin tied itself tighter around the far end of the branch, serpentine and fluid.

"And I know you do like it," the rescuer added with a teasing smirk, seeming oblivious to the danger, "Sirius gave it to you and you wear it all the time."

I blushed a bit at being caught in the slight fib, arguing, "Ya, but it's not worth you falling out of the tree for! Please come down!!"

"After I get your ribbon," he replied, clambering higher and higher like a deranged monkey, "And I'm not going to fall. I climb trees all the time 'cuz Charlie likes hiding in them. I have to find him for Mum a lot. Besides, it's fun."

"It's not fun!" I shouted at my friend, feeling panic well up in my thin chest, "You're going to fall!!" It was already late July and I'd gotten better about keeping my fears in check during the few months following Dimitri's death. I regularly allowed Noah and Judy to stay with 

Sirius while I went to the Burrow to play with Bill, and I slept most nights in my own bed. However, I still wasn't doing too well with seeing my friends and family in potentially life-threatening situations.

About a week before, Sirius had gone out with James, Remus, and Peter for one of their monthly "boys' nights." He came home with a nasty gash on his temple. He tried to keep me from seeing it before Lily could heal it up for him. But I came downstairs early, having slept over at the Potter house while all the men were out, and noticed straight away. I spent an hour crying hysterically, having to be repeatedly reassured that Sirius was alright, that he wasn't going to die.

I hated that I could cry now. Sirius told me that it was a good thing, that it must mean I was turning back into a kid instead of having to be a mini adult all the time, but I didn't get that, and I still didn't like it.

"Don't worry so much," Bill replied with a laugh, hoisting himself up through the canopy overhead, "I never fall."

The lump left of my throat was suddenly too tight to argue through any longer but I kept watching Bill climb, kept praying fiercely that nothing bad would happen to my friend.

He made it to the branch about twenty feet above the ground, standing up with his arms out to either side as he found balance and then began a death-defying tightrope walk. I held my breath until he made it to the flash of red caught halfway across, only wobbling a little, and grabbed the ribbon flapping in the wind.

With a triumphant smile, he held out the length of slithering satin and proclaimed, "See! Got it!"

"Great," I forced out, my voice cracking pitifully, "Now come down!!"

He gave a rakish smirk, bouncing a bit on the thin tree limb. "What's the hurry?" he teased, "It's nice up here. I can see the pond and the Burrow. You should come up."

Scowling, I replied, "I am not going up there. I want you to come down before you fall... and stop bouncing! You're going to break the branch!"

He bounced a few more times, being a jerk and clearly enjoying it as he declared, "Nah, it's pretty strong."

"It could still break, Billy!" I whined, utterly petrified, both arms wrapped compulsively around my quivering midsection, "Please! I don't want you to get hurt!"

When he saw that the situation was really upsetting me, some of the fun seemed to leave Bill's game. "Ok," he reluctantly agreed, turning and venturing back in to the relative safety of the trunk, "But I really wasn't going to fall."

I waited anxiously as the boy climbed back down the way he came, the red ribbon clutched tightly in one grubby fist. For a moment, I let myself begin to relax.

And then his sneakers slipped, leaving his lanky legs kicking futilely for a few endless seconds, his body hanging by both arms from a limb over head. The forest was so quiet, so quiet that it made the howl of the wind seem so loud, Bill's startled intake of breath and the strangled scream that stuck hard in my throat punching a hole in the stillness of the fuzzy warm afternoon.

"Bill!" I shrieked, finally finding my voice and running at the tree, already trying to climb because, as much as I didn't want to go up there, I didn't want Bill to take the express route down even more.

"I'm ok," the boy reassured, swinging out to find footing on another perch nearby, "I'm fine, Ivy. Really. I just slipped. You don't have to come up if you don't want to. I'll be down in just a second."

I halted my frantic efforts, caught somewhere between relief and disbelief as I stayed with both feet firmly on the ground and carefully tracked Bill's downward progress. And then suddenly he was standing in front of me again, with a shy but triumphant smile on his freckled face and my red hair ribbon clutched tightly in his hand. The length of satin flowed like water in the wind.

I threw my arms around his lanky neck, catching him off guard with the tight hug. After stumbling back a bit, after a few brief moments of hesitation, I felt him return it softly, felt his hands at the small of my back, the heat of his blush and quirk of his goofy grin against my cheek.

"I'm ok, Ivy," he reassured me once again, voice content and quiet as he allowed me to squeeze him nearly hard enough to bruise, "Really. I just slipped, is all. I didn't mean to scare you that bad. I was only playing around. I'm sorry."

The boy didn't particularly sound sorry. In fact, he seemed to actually be enjoying himself. I couldn't really think of why but, then again, the hug was making me feel a whole lot better so why shouldn't it have done the same for him?

"I thought you were going to fall," I admitted sheepishly, still not bothering to let go, comforted by the fact that I could feel my friend's heart beating a sharp tattoo so close to mine.

His smile grew wider as a happy chuckle reached my ears. "I told you," Bill answered, utterly confident, "I never fall."

xxXxx

Bill's uncles Gideon and Fabian were at the Burrow's kitchen table with Mr. Weasley when the two of us returned. Each of them had a neatly cut, sloppily half-devoured sandwich on a plate in front of him, courtesy of Mrs. Weasley, who was seated beside her husband and trying to coax baby Ginevra into taking her breast.

"There you are," the kind woman greeted us fondly, "You two are late for lunch again. Merlin knows what you get up to off in those woods."

"I think I know," one of the uncles, Gideon probably, teased beneath his breath, elbowing Mr. Weasley and nodding towards Bill's and my joined hands. I'd barely noticed that we'd been holding hands the whole walk back; it just seemed so natural.

"You leave them alone, Gideon Prewett," Mrs. Weasley scolded, snapping her brother sharply in the ear with an old dishtowel, "Last thing anyone needs is for you to open your big mouth and spoil their fun."

"Ouch!" he whined, thick lips turned down in a petulant frown as he threw up his arms to defend from more attacks, "Molly, that hurt!"

"What can I get you, dears?" Mrs. Weasley asked, smiling serenely as she stood from the table and began to rummage in the lunch components, "We have ham or turkey, with or without mustard, cheese, lettuce, and tomato."

"Ham and cheese, please," Bill said with a grin, letting go of my hand in order to chivalrously pull out my chair for me, "And can we have chocolate milk?"

"If you'll eat some vegetables as well," his mother replied, one-handedly assembling the meal with ease and precision, "Ivy, dear, what would you like?"

"Turkey, please," I stated quietly, sitting down beside Fabian and exchanging a soft smile with Bill as he plopped down in the next seat. After pausing a brief moment, I shyly added, "With tomato."

"So, you kids excited?" the twin I thought was Fabian asked around a mouthful of sandwich.

"About what?" Bill replied, already excited just by the possibly of having something over which to be excited.

Fabian grinned, swallowing his bite. He took a big slug of milk before wiping his mouth on the back of his thick, freckled arm and answering, "Hogwarts letters get mailed out today. You both should be getting one shortly."

Bill's face lit up and I felt mine do the same. "Wicked!" my friend cried, jumping out of his chair and running to look out the kitchen window, "That's amazing! I can't believe we really get to go to Hogwarts and learn magic! When do we get our wands? What other stuff do we need? What's Hogwarts like? Is it big? Are the professors nice? Are there ghosts? Do you think they'll let me and Ivy be on the quidditch team?"

"One question at a time, William," Fabian chuckled.

"Anyways," Mr. Weasley contributed fondly, "Your letters will answer a lot. Just be patient until they arrive."

Pouting, Bill returned to his seat. "I hate being patient," he complained, "But ok." He huffed theatrically before digging into his sandwich.

We were all spared a few moments of silence while Bill chewed his bite.

"What about the lake?" he inevitably babbled, "Can we swim in the lake? Is it cold? Does it have a rope swing? Are there creatures in it? What kinds? Are they nice? Do they talk?"

"Not unless you speak Mer or Squid," Gideon laughed, sending me a playful wink as I giggled into my sandwich.

"Bill, dear, please," Mrs. W. insisted, "Don't pester us with questions right now. There'll be plenty of time for that once you get your letter and at least have some of them answered."

The redhead huffed again, dark green eyes full of hardly-contained exuberance as he replied, "Yes, Mum." He scarfed his whole sandwich in three large bites and grinned triumphantly.

Refusing to be rushed, I took my time with dainty mouthfuls. It's a good thing I did, too, because not quite ten minutes later, while I was finishing my last gulp of milk and Bill was chatting boisterously with his uncles, a harried brown owl sailed through the open window. It had a letter clutched in its beak.

"IT'S HERE!!" he squealed, diving across the table in an attempt to tackle the poor bird. All he got for his trouble was to land in his mother's lunch and bring her fury down upon himself.

"WILLIAM ARTHUR WEASLEY!!" the woman shouted, shoving baby Ginevra into my arms before angrily grabbing her son by the shirt collar and pulling him out of the food.

Mrs. Weasley took Bill in another room and gave him a sound tongue-lashing. The men rolled with laughter, Gideon and Fabian nearly on the floor while Mr. W tried to catch the terrified owl.

I rocked and cooed to Ginevra, amazed that she wasn't more upset by all the noise. She was a very calm baby, with bright, intelligent brown eyes. And she was pretty, too. Most babies look really scary for their first few weeks or months, at least in my opinion; some never do grow out of it. I don't want to point any fingers, but, um, Harry... Ron... Neville... However, Ginevra, with her ginger-hair and freckles and sweet smile, was like a rosy little cherub. Bill liked to call her Ginny.

After the long scolding, Bill reentered the kitchen. He seemed a bit forlorn but perked up immediately when his father handed over the letter the older man had finally be able to wrestle from the owl. "Wicked," Bill gasped reverently, running his small hands over the sealed envelope, seeming to be memorizing its details before tearing it to shreds.

But, just seconds before the moment of destruction, Bill picked his head up and looked at me. "Where's your letter?" he asked excitedly, "Didn't it come yet?"

"I'm sure Ivy's letter was delivered to her house," Mrs. Weasley said, relieving me of her daughter and giving me a fond, appreciative pat on the head.

"Oh," Bill replied. He frowned down at his letter, then back up at me, then down at his letter, then back up at me. "I'll wait," the boy declared, "I'll wait to open it until you've got yours, too, Ivy. Then we can open them together. It'll be lots cooler that way."

My heart swelled inside my thin chest. I felt a hot blush rush over my cheeks. "You don't have to wait, Billy," I muttered, "I know you want to open it. And we probably got the same letter anyways."

Exhibiting great personal restraint, he resolutely squared his shoulders and replied, "I want to wait. We should open ours together."

He was so sure, his dark green eyes locked with mine. He smiled, and I smiled.

Though I didn't really know what to make of it at the time, I saw Gideon and Fabian nudge each other and smirk significantly. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley gazed across the room at each other, expressions soft and starry.

Two minutes later, a thud, plume of soot, and loud string of curses originating in the living room heralded Sirius' arrival by floo. Noah's elated giggles and Judy's bright "Again! Again!" alerted me to the fact that my brother and sister had come along for the ride.

All three appeared in the kitchen doorway a few moments later, their faces smudged with black ash, their smiles beaming brilliant white. Sirius had a little darling attached to each leg as he limped forward and, seeming immensely proud, presented me with my own Hogwarts school letter.

"Post, love," he joked, trying and failing not to look and sound as utterly excited as Bill.

Bill and I counted down from three and then ripped into our letters together. He read it out loud, an arm around my shoulders, both of us bouncing happily.

xxXxx

I didn't realize until a few days later that Hogwarts was a boarding school, that a boarding school meant leaving.

Our excursion to Diagon Alley was quite the ordeal. Bill's mum stayed home with our brothers and sisters, but his dad and his uncles came. Sirius came, of course, and so did James, Lily, and Remus. It was Sirius' idea to make sure we all got really hyped up on candy. And it was sort of fantastic fun for awhile, running around like crazy and laughing and getting excited about every next stop on our trip. James and Lily were doing a bit of shopping of their own, stocking up on supplies for the grand first birthday party they were planning to have for Harry on the 31st of July.

I thought the book store was the best part. Sirius snuck around behind me, collected just about every text I showed the slightest interest in, and bought them all. He kept it a surprise, so I didn't find out until I actually got to Hogwarts and found them stuffed in the bottom of my trunk with enough candy and food to feed an army, with a letter saying that he loved me, was proud of me, expected me to have fun and raise hell.

But that's later.

After the book store, Bill and I were still hopped up on sugar and had some difficulties sitting still for uniform fittings. My skirt ended up a little crooked, his slacks a little too long and he was always tripping over the hems.

Afterwards, we went for wands at Ollivander's. That was where things started getting weird.

"More of you already?" the small man fussed, pulling Bill and I out of our gaping stupor in the doorway. There were just so many damn wand boxes in that dark, narrow shop. "Earlier and earlier every year," the man went on, dragging us both to the further into the shabby room and then puttering about, reading and gathering boxes and muttering to himself.

"Here you are, dear," Mr. Ollivander stated, smiling kindly as he placed a wand in my hand, "Give that a wave."

And so I did. And a chair flew across the room and crashed through the front window in a shower of glass.

I squeaked and dropped the wand.

Sirius poked his head through the opening, mildly worried but smirking. "Everything alright in here?" he questioned.

"Just fine," Mr. Ollivander replied, bringing out a wand from his pocket. Smiling at me, he waved the wand and went on, "That happens every once in awhile. You'll just need something with a stronger core. I'll see what I have in the back."

The window repaired itself, but not before Sirius threw me a quick wink and got his head out of the way.

Mr. Ollivander pulled out a wand for Bill to try. Bill waved it, but the wand spewed a bunch of black soot straight back into his own face. Coughing and sputtering, the boy flapped his arm around in an attempt to protect himself from the ongoing spray. Unfortunately, all he succeeded in doing was showering the rest of the room, including me.

It took a few minutes for Mr. Ollivander to regain control of the situation and to clean up the rather large mess.

I glared at Bill. He smiled sheepishly in return.

Our wand fittings continued in much the same manner for quite awhile. Nothing Mr. Ollivander brought out seemed at all right for either of us. The grownups stayed outside, chatting out of range and waiting for us to finish. James and Lily continued to do some birthday shopping, planning on spoiling the hell out of their son.

In the end, Bill found his wand first, the two-tone wood throwing sparks the same bright red as the boy's unruly hair.

Mr. Ollivander grinned and clapped. "Oh, just splendid!" he proclaimed, checking over the smooth piece clasped firmly in Billy's fist, "Palmwood, sixteen inches. Best get to work growing into it quick, before you put someone's eye out." He beamed at Bill, leaning closer in a very conspiratorial manner as he went on, "Swishy, good for charms. The core is a particularly clever sphinx's most difficult riddle. She spoke it in herself, and I sealed it in right there in the midst of Egypt's Western Desert."

"Really?" Bill asked, green eyes wide and excited.

"No, that's impossible!" I declared petulantly, "You can't fill a wand with a riddle! Not unless it's written down!"

His eyes moony and strange, Mr. Ollivander regarded me like one might regard a toddler ignorantly proclaiming that the world is flat. The old man stated, "And yet that's exactly what I did, my dear. The results speak for themselves."

I still didn't believe him. I thought for sure he must be lying.

"Don't sulk, child," Mr. Ollivander scolded, disappearing into the back of the shop once again.

"Wicked," Bill whispered, turning his wand over and over in his hands, admiring the alternating light and dark of the grain pattern, like perfectly toasted white bread swirled with ribbons of cinnamon. It was a very pretty wand.

"You can't put a riddle in a wand," I insisted, growing cross, "Not unless you write it down first."

Bill looked up and grinned at me. "Come on, Ivy," he teased, "Don't be jealous just because I have the coolest wand ever. I'm sure you'll find one that's almost as good."

Huffing, I stuck my tongue out at the boy and refused to dignify him with a response.

Mr. Ollivander returned with another several dozen wands for me to test. I did a great deal more property damage with them and still didn't find a match.

Another half hour later, with Bill acting as a one-man cheer squad, Mr. Ollivander pressed a narrow, slightly twisted stick of pale purply brown wood--sort of the color of an old bruise--into my right hand. It felt like... like a static shock shooting through my palm, crawling up my arm. It felt right. I gave the wand a quick flick, already knowing that it had to be the one.

Like I thought, the wand threw off a brilliant gold burst, like a big crackling firework. Mr. Ollivander smiled, clapping his hands together a few times before chirping, "Excellent! Excellent! Another very unusual wand. It is made from le Coeur de Lilas. That's lilac heartwood, thirteen-and-three-quarter inches. Dense but very pliable, ideal for transfiguration. The core is a gold flight feather I plucked from the wing of a dying griffin king high in the Karakoram mountains of India. I was a much younger man in those days, of course. I don't do nearly so much traveling now."

While the man was talking, Bill bounced up at my side, grinning at me while I stared down at my wand. It was... eerie. I couldn't take my eyes off the purplish twig of wood. In some odd way, the object felt like it had become an extension of me.

Sirius popped his head in through the doorway, chuckling, "Haven't heard anything explode in awhile. Everything alright?"

"Yup!" Bill chirped in reply, running over to show his dad and uncles when they pushed in behind Sirius, "Me and Ivy both got our wands! Mine has a riddle inside and hers has a gold griffin feather from a king griffin!"

"These two possess some highly unusual magic," Mr. Ollivander commented, smiling, "I don't get much call for such exotic pieces, even though they are so satisfying to construct."

Sirius beamed, pulling me quickly into a one-armed hug and letting me hide my blush against his side as he looked over the wand that had chosen me. "We'll have to keep our eyes on them then," he laughed, mussing up my hair, "Hogwarts might not know what to do with the unusual pair."

I giggled, squeezing Sirius tight. He always had such a way of making me feel better, no matter how good or bad I already was feeling.

The respective guardians purchased the respective wands, and then we were all off again. Since the school and birthday shopping was now officially finished, James declared that he and Lily would like to buy Bill and I each an owl. I was sort of excited by that. I'd never had a pet before (not unless you count Noah and Judy).

So our group took a leisurely stroll over to Eeylops Owl Emporium, another dim shopped that was packed practically to bursting with owls of every shape and color.

"How come so many wizards have owls as pets?" I asked Lily, allowing her to lead me by the hand through a section of tawnys, "I mean, I know they take mail. But why don't people just use spells to send letters and things? It seems like it would be a lot faster and easier to have a spell zap the letter straight to where it's going rather than wait for an owl to fly it there. And a lot less maintenance, too, what with the feeding and the poop."

Chuckling, Lily thoughtfully answered, "Well, I don't know. I think it's just a matter of tradition. But maybe you and Sirius can work out a spell for mail. You'll probably be writing back and forth like crazy once school starts."

I scrunched up my nose, asking, "What do you mean? I don't send mail to Sirius. I just go down the hall and knock on his door. Or go into the garage. He's in there a lot, working on his motorcycle."

The woman's pretty face fell. "Oh, sweetheart," she cooed, taking a knee beside me, rubbing my shoulders, "Hogwarts is a boarding school."

"W-What?" I stuttered.

"A boarding school," she repeated, like I didn't understand what the words meant, "You go and live there. I know it seems scary, but you'll really have so much fun. The castle is a great place. And you'll make loads of new friends and learn tons of new things. And Bill will be there with you."

The thought of going away for school had never even occurred to me. I'd been envisioning a situation more like the one I'd previously been enrolled in: going to class five times a week and going straight home afterwards. My mouth hung open dumbly. I was in pure shock.

"Ivy? Darling?" Lily questioned, fretting, petting my bangs back from my wide eyes, "Calm down, take a deep breath, and talk to me, alright? Everything's going to be alright."

In keeping with the list of things I hadn't noticed until Lily mentioned them was the fact that I had begun to hyperventilate. The sudden, panicked tightness in my chest was a scream for oxygen.

"Ivy, listen to me," Lily kept pestering, her voice getting higher and louder, "You have to breathe, honey. Everything's going to be fine, but you have to _breathe_."

"What's wrong?" Sirius questioned, arriving and falling down before me. He took my face in both his broad hands, demanding, "Love, slow down and take a breath. Right now."

I just... I couldn't make myself. No matter how hard I tried. I kept thinking about being sent away, about leaving Sirius, about what I had done to make him want to send me away, about what would happen to Noah and Judy... a million other things.

My fingers and lips started to tingle, like they'd fallen asleep. And my head felt funny and light. I could hear Sirius yelling, though I didn't know how I ended up staring up from the floor at him and James and Lily and Remus and Bill and Gideon and Fabian and Mr. Weasley and the shopkeeper and several passersby and a whole lot of ballistic owls. Anyways, that wasn't important. What was important was that I was gulping air like I'd just sprinted a mile and couldn't manage to make any of it actually hit my lungs.

My awkward upward view got gradually dimmer and dimmer until it was all black.

xxXxx

I came to, oddly, in Bill's bedroom. Later, I knew that this made sense, that the Burrow was the closest of our houses and that we would have to go there anyways to get Noah, Judy, and Harry. But, still, I woke up in Bill's bedroom and was so confused and terrified that I almost started to hyperventilate yet again.

"Relax, love," Sirius soothed, sinking down beside me and pushing my hair back from my eyes, "You're fine. Deep breaths, alright?"

This time, I managed to obey the command, watching the rise and fall of Sirius' chest and willing my own to match. I forced myself to calm.

"Good," Sirius stated, smiling and bending to press a relieved kiss to my forehead, "That's good, kiddo. Just concentrate on breathing. We don't want another scare."

"Sorry," I muttered, voice hoarse and weak, "I-I didn't mean to."

Smiling softly, Sirius replied, "I know, love. We'll talk about it later. Just relax and rest for now."

I nodded, melting back into Bill's pillow. I was too tense to really rest though. I could feel the thoughts swirling around in my head again, about Hogwarts and leaving and how much I didn't want to.

After only a few minutes, Sirius noticed the panicked change in my breathing. "Ivy, stop it," he scolded, kneading the back of my neck, "Nobody's trying to get rid of you or take the twins away. You're worked up about nothing again, alright? It's just school and it's not like you're never going to see me and the twins. I'll bring them over as often as you like, every day even, and I'm sure I can talk to Dumbledore about you being able to use the floos to come home whenever you like, too. Alright? You don't have to worry."

"I don't want to go," I whimpered, staring up with my eyes gone wide and teary, "Please, don't make me go."

Sighing heavily, Sirius put his arm around my shoulders, hugging me tight against his side and letting me lean my head against his chest. "We've talked about this, kiddo," he murmured, giving me another long kiss on the temple, "I'm never going to force you to do anything you don't want, but I'd like you to trust that I'm only ever going to ask you to do what's best for you. Right now, going to school is best." He chuckled sadly, adding, "I don't I like the idea of it anymore than you do. Last thing I want is for you not to be around all the time. But I know I have to be strong and let you go wow those professors and make friends and learn a ton and just... just be a kid, alright?"

I shook my head, insisting, "I don't want to go."

Sirius' grip tightened. The pair of us sat in silence for what seemed like forever.

xxXxx

Sirius spent a few days giving me some space to reconsider. He was very understanding but still kind of a pest, hinting and nudging even while I continued to stubbornly insist that I wouldn't leave him and the twins. I even sort of regressed, refusing to let him and Noah and Judy out of my sight for more than a few minutes at a time, always wanting to know where they were and that they were safe.

I felt bad about it. I knew that Sirius was right, that I should go. And I did want to. Learning was always one of my passions. And there was also Bill to consider; I hadn't even told him that I was no longer going to be attending Hogwarts with him. I don't think I could've faced the boy.

But it turned out that I didn't have to. Like usual, Sirius came to the rescue.

We were sitting at breakfast one morning a little less than a week after the Diagon trip, pointedly not talking because every discussion we had those days turned into one in which Sirius tried to convince me to go to school and I stubbornly refused.

Anyways, Sirius got post at the window, so he got up to fetch it. He fed the owl before sending the creature off and unrolling the parchment. His eyes scanned quickly over the words, a sly smile gradually blooming on his rugged face.

He looked up suddenly, turning the smile on me as he made his way back to the table. "Good news, love," he teasingly announced, tossing the letter towards me, "I just got a new job."

"Really?" I asked, thinking it rather odd. I'd heard plenty from Lily about how Sirius was essentially a well-funded vagrant, that he'd never done an honest day's work in his entire life and probably never would. More than once Sirius had even championed his work-free lifestyle, telling Remus that he would hire the man as his assistant if Remus would just hang out with him all day instead of going to his own real, boring job. Remus always politely refused, knowing as well as everyone else that that would probably be a very bad idea.

I pulled the parchment towards myself. It was emblazoned with the Hogwarts crest; I recognized the emblem from my own school letter.

"_Dear Mr. Black_," I read aloud, "_On behalf of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I am pleased to offer you the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for the 1981-1982 school year. The possibility of your permanently taking up the post will be evaluated at the close of the spring term. Please reply with times that you would be available to meet to discuss compensation and housing. Sincerely, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster_."

I looked up from the letter, staring across the table at Sirius' beaming grin. "What do you think, love?" he asked, vaguely uneasy, twitching in place, "Would you be ok with having me as a teacher?"

I looked between him and the letter several times, thinking hard before speaking up. "So you'll come live in the castle, too?" I questioned, hesitant, "And Noah and Judy?"

Sirius nodded brightly, replying, "Sure. Hogwarts has some pretty nice suites for the staff. Plus, the food is great. I was kind of worried about what the twins and I were going to eat once you left. I'm not exactly known for my culinary talents, am I?"

Again, I looked back and forth between him and the letter. Gradually, I began to smile. I hopped out of my seat and ran around the table, throwing my arms around Sirius' midsection and hugging tight, burying my face in his T-shirt.

His laugh sent a warm rumble through his chest and into me. "Is that a 'yes' then?" he teased, combing my choppy dark hair back from my forehead, "Is everything settled?"

I nodded, faintly whispering, "Thanks."

Sirius put his arms around me and squeezed, chuckling, "Anytime, kiddo."

xxXxx

Lily and Remus both flipped their lids, going on longwinded tirades about how Sirius couldn't possibly be a teacher, how he was unqualified and irresponsible and blah blah blah. James started laughing and didn't--couldn't--stop for nearly two hours.

But everyone eventually came to accept Sirius' announcement about his new position. When he explained his reasoning behind seeking it--that he could be close to me and make sure I went to school all the while ensuring that the twins had decent food cooked for them--he even got some reluctant nods of approval.

I was once again excited about starting classes in September, counting down the days until I could go and already voraciously devouring my textbooks.

But first there was the little matter of little Harry Potter's very first birthday.

We got up earlier than usual on the morning of July 31st, had breakfast in London and then walked into Diagon Alley in search of a birthday present for the boy. It was Noah and 

Judy's first trip to the city, both its magical and muggle sectors, and the pair was very eager to explore. That meant that they were also very difficult to keep an eye on.

"JUDITH HARPER!" I shrieked, chasing the toddler before she could go running off towards something shiny in a shop window, "Stop it! I said you needed to stay with me or else you have to hold hands!"

The girl halted her bid for freedom, turning and scowling up at me, hands on hips. "I'm not a baby, Ivy," she insisted, cross and scolding.

"No, you're a very tiny adult," I teased in reply, grabbing hold of her shirt collar and waiting for Sirius and Noah to catch up, "You still can't go running away from us. You could get lost. Or kidnapped. Or _stepped on_."

Judy swatted ineffectually at my hand, her little cheeks getting red with frustration. "I will not!" the girl shouted, "You're making stuff up! And you walk too slow! Let me GO!"

"Judy, behave, or we're going straight home," I warned, "That means to no party."

She stopped shrieking and squirming, turning her half-furious pout up at me and then at Sirius. "Sirius," the girl whined, "Ivy's being mean to me!"

Chuckling as he arrived dragging Noah, Sirius answered, "Now, I have a hard time believing that. Ivy's never mean. You should listen to her. She's brainy and loves you like crazy."

Not liking the response, Judy huffed and decided to sulk in silence.

Anyways, we didn't really know what we wanted to get for Harry. Well, that's not entirely true. Sirius had many ideas, just none that Lily would actually approve of. Some of them I didn't even approve of. Honestly, wanting to give a one-year-old fireworks...

The other part of the problem was that Harry was so darn spoiled. Anything that was acceptable he either already had or was getting from his parents. It made the shopping very difficult. We looked through Gambol & Japes joke shop, Flourish & Blotts, and even the Magical Menagerie. Nothing.

In a fit of genius, Sirius decided that we should head over to Quality Quidditch Supplies and see if they had any child-friendly quidditch gear or paraphernalia James hadn't already procured for his son.

Luckily (since we were already running late), the shop had just gotten in a brand new line of feetie pajamas printed with flying snitches and brooms, as well as a whole bunch of flavored chocolates in the shapes of the various balls. Sirius not only bought a pair of pajamas for Harry, he bought another a pair each for Noah and Judy as well. He added several pounds of the candy on top of all that.

Even after that, Sirius took a long time to finish up. He impulsively added several more quidditch-related toys on his way to the register, then got caught up debating the pros and cons of the new Puddlemere chaser's defensive strategy with the clerk, going as far as following the man into the shop's back room in order to review and obsess over some training footage.

While we waited, the twins and I stood near the front of the store. I was showing them a golden snitch in a transparent case and explaining what it was for, why it was beating itself against the glass.

As I was speaking, I saw a boy wander in. He was probably about five or six, cute and a little pudgy, with spiky dark hair and wide brown eyes.

Initially, I didn't pay the boy that much attention. There was no real reason to. He was just looking over some of the smaller brooms, but, gradually, the child drifted closer and closer. Soon, he was standing beside Noah, eyes fixed on me. His stare was slightly unnerving, but only because it was so intense. I felt like every ounce of the boy's attention was focused in like a laser on me and only me, even after Noah and Judy got bored and wandered away to look through the rest of the shop.

I smiled politely at him.

That was all the invitation he seemed to need. "Hi!" the boy chirped, grinning brightly.

He was cute, kind of reminding me of Noah, with the button nose and easy smile. I laughed, straightening my favorite red hair ribbon as I greeted, "Hello. How are you?"

"Good, thanks," he replied, extraordinarily polite, "How are you?"

"I'm doing well," I told him, glancing around for any sign of a parent and/or guardian to go with the boy. When I didn't find one, I questioned, "Are you lost?"

He shook his head, chiming, "No, just looking around. I really like quidditch."

He was so adorable, effortlessly charming and sweet. "I really like it, too," I giggled.

"MATTHEW!! MATTHEW JOHN!!"

I couldn't tell where the loud voice was coming from, just that it was outside and that the little boy ducked beneath the window, presumably to avoid being seen by its owner. I smirked down at him, teasing, "So your name is Matthew John?"

Eyes suddenly guilty and frightened, the boy nodded. "Uh huh," he answered, "But Daddy only calls me that when he's _really_ mad."

"Well, does he know that you came in here?" I pressed, sure that any good parent would be frantic if such a small child had wandered off. I would be frantic if Noah or Judy had.

Matthew sighed, shaking his head. Ya. Of course not.

"Well then," I told the boy, "I'm sure your daddy is just worried about you. You should go let him know where you are."

"But he's gonna say I'm grounded!" Matthew complained, clearly trying to win me over to his side of the situation. "It's not fair!" he whined, "I wanted to go to the quidditch store first but _stupid _Isaac picked the _stupid _bookstore first! He always gets to pick! And the bookstore is _boring_! And I'm not a_ baby_! I can do stuff by myself!"

Laughing at the boy's breathless tirade, I argued, "I'm sure you can, and I'm sure your daddy knows that. He's probably just scared. It's tough letting someone you love out in the world where you can't protect them all the time."

Matthew seemed to be thinking very hard about my statement before declaring, "I guess so. But it still stinks. You shouldn't keep people you love from doing stuff they love just because you're afraid. That's not fair."

Stunned by the boy's unexpected wisdom, I let my mouth hang open dumbly for a few moments before finally replying, "Well, you're right, but you're also little, and when you're little, you need someone big to watch out for you. That is how it works."

Snickering, Matthew argued, "No one big is watching you. You're pretty little."

Unsure whether to be amused or offended, I laughed, "I take care of my brother and sister, and they're littler than me, so that makes me the big in the equation. But even bigs need bigs, and I've got Sirius. He takes care of me."

The boy frowned, quietly inquiring, "You call your daddy Sirius?"

"No," I giggled, somewhat sad as I thought briefly on my real daddy, "Sirius isn't my daddy. He's... Sirius. He's my friend."

"Oh," Matthew said, nodding like that explained everything. Pulling a big of a conversational one-eighty, the boy next asked, "What's your name?"

Before I could answer, the bell on the shop door gave a particularly loud chime as the door flew open and slammed into the wall behind it. The man who came barreling through made me jump back in fright even before I recognized him.

"Matthew John Kasen!" he yelled, equal parts of relief and anger in his deep voice and his broad, shaking shoulders, "You're in big trouble, young man! I told you to stay in the bookstore! What were you thinking running off like that? You had me worried sick!"

The scolding continued, but I was a bit stuck on the name _Kasen_, as in my father's family. The man who'd rushed into the quidditch shop was none other than my daddy's big brother Samuel. Samuel Kasen. And Matthew John Kasen, well, he was my cousin.

I was caught somewhere between being absolutely frozen and just wanting to slink away before my uncle noticed me. It was just... hard being around any of my extended family. My parents never wanted us around them, that much was clear. They never would have run away if they had. And the youngest of my daddy's four brothers, Gabriel, he was the reason the Kasens hadn't managed to get custody of the twins and me. Gabriel pushed me and made me hit my head on a step, landing me in the hospital. There was also the matter of the cursed music box they'd given me for my birthday, the music inside some sort of subliminal Imperius designed to make me want to live with my father's family. And they were all followers of the Dark Lord. That really wasn't anything to be proud of.

But Samuel had been nice during the few times that I met him. He seemed even... sweet, tearing up when he spoke about my daddy.

Before I could decide to run or... something, Noah and Judy returned from their exploration of the shop. They returned quite loudly.

"IVY!!" Noah shrieked, running at me in tears with Judy worriedly following close behind. My baby brother flung himself into my arms, sobbing, "My fingew got cut!"

"Oh, let me see," I cooed, all thought outside of Noah's health leaving my mind in an instant. Pretty much anything having to do with keeping the twins safe and happy has the power to do that. But Noah's cut wasn't serious, just a shallow, oozing knick on his right index finger. The sight of the blood had probably driven him to tears rather than any actual pain.

"You're ok," I told him, digging into the pocket of my jeans for one of the napkins I had taken to carrying--never knew when I'd need them with my brother and sister. I used the napkin to clean up the blood and pressed a kiss to Noah's fingertip before folding the boy once more into a tight hug. "Billy has healing strips," I soothed, "I'll ask him for one once we get to the party, ok?"

Noah sniffled sadly, pouting, nodding. "Ok," he whimpered, burying his face wetly into my shoulder.

"I tried to tell him it was sharp," Judy piped up, missing some of her usual attitude because she didn't like to see Noah hurt anymore than I did.

"It's ok," I told the little blonde, pulling her into a hug as well, "Noah's fine. And I'm sure he'll be more careful next time."

I was granted about ten seconds of time to just hold the twins before remembering my uncle. I looked up, nervous, and saw that he was still there. He looked... well, absolutely floored. But also a lot like my daddy, the same tall, broad frame, brown hair and eyes. His eyebrows were bushier than Daddy's though. His lips were thinner. His cheekbones and brow ridge and chin were more pronounced. He might've even been a little taller than Daddy, and Daddy'd been pretty darn tall.

Now that Matthew was standing next to the man--looking confused about no longer being scolded--I could clearly see the family resemblance.

After what seemed like several eternities, Samuel cleared his throat and offered a weak smile. "Hi," he croaked, still sounding quite choked up.

The only thing I could think to say in response was, "Hi."

And then we were back to awkward silence and staring.

Never one to tolerate silence, Judy squirmed around in my embrace and gazed up at our uncle. "I remember you," she declared, frowning, "You're too tall. And you're friends with the mean man who made Ivy hurt her head!"

Samuel blushed and stammered, finally managing to answer the accusation with, "I- um. Sorry?"

Huffing, Judy fired back, "He was mean! You should make him not be so mean!"

Still appearing too utterly shocked to react, Samuel replied, "Uh... ok."

The bell on the shop door rang once more, heralding the arrival of yet another uncle. David Kasen, I'd learned, was the third oldest of my father's four brothers. (The birth order, in case you were actually interested, was Samuel, Noah (my dad), David, Benjamin, and Gabriel).

"You find him, Sam?" David questioned pleasantly, smiling. He was skinnier than Samuel, about the same height though and very wiry, not to mention twitchy. His skin was darker and his hair was lighter, both seemingly from a great deal of sun exposure.

The man was carrying another little boy propped on his right hip and a girl on his left, both looked to be around the same age as Matthew. Both had the rich brown hair I'd come to expect from the Kasen line, the pouting little mouths that could so easily morph into sunshine smiles.

"Ya," Samuel answered blankly, "I found him." He blinked and then, seeming to remember what he was doing in the shop to begin with, reluctantly glanced down and found his son staring up at him from his side.

Matthew looked quite confused over the fact that he wasn't being scolded, that I had so completely distracted his father.

"Ivy?" David spoke up, just as stunned as his brother but not quite as speechless. He put the boy and girl down on the ground but kept a hand on each. He smiled at me, greeting, "Heya, cutie pie. Fancy meeting you here."

I didn't quite know what to say to that, so I said nothing, holding Noah and Judy tight.

David didn't seem to bothered by my nonresponse, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he chirped, "I see you've already met Matthew the escape artist."

I glanced over in time to see the boy's face morph into a petulant scowl.

David paid him no mind, still smiling as he put a hand on each of the other two children's heads. He started with the skinny little boy, stating, "This is Matthew's big brother, Isaac."

Isaac gave a shy wave, blushing and then turning his gaze down to his feet. He wore small square glasses and had a neat left part in his brown hair. Freckles and a bit of a gap between his two front teeth.

David then turned to the girl, beaming back at her bright smile, "And this is my oldest girl, Esther. Say hello to your cousins, baby."

Esther bounced up on the balls of her feet just like her daddy had. She seemed to have inherited his copious energy and enthusiasm, his sun-kissed coloring. "HI!" she squeaked, kind of adorable in her frilly yellow sundress, "What're your names?"

"I'm Noah!" Noah answered, his injury completely forgotten. He was always so happy to meet new people, pointing as he went on, "And this is Judy. And this is Ivy. They'we both my sistews, but only Judy is twins with me."

I was still kind of stunned, but Judy leapt in without much delay. "Hey," she called, very cool, way too cool for such a tiny person, "We're shopping. We had to find birthday presents for Harry."

"That's nice," David chimed, just... friendly, "How old is he turning?"

"He's one-yeaws-old," Noah answered smartly, excited, "He's having a pawty at his house. We get to wide the motowcycle thewe aftew Siwius buys the pwesents." Bless him and his little speech impediment. Everything he said back then came out so damn cute.

"Sounds like a lot of fun," David chimed, mussing up Matthew's spiky hair, "This one turns five in a month or so. There'll be a big blowout in his honor. You kids are welcome to come."

"Yay!" Noah squealed before I could stop him, "I like pawties! Can we go, Ivy? Please?"

Shifting my glance between Samuel and David, over their various children, I hesitantly replied, "We'll see." I wanted Sirius to come back. I couldn't handle this.

"You should come!" Matthew piped up, eager, "Isaac and Esther had really fun birthday parties last month! Isaac turned six and Esther turned five! There was candy and cake and games and everybody was there! It was the best!"

"I, um," I responded dumbly, searching my mind for a suitable excuse, "I don't know. I'll... be at Hogwarts. Sirius and the twins, too. Sirius is going to be a professor."

David snorted, earning a glare from Samuel. "That sounds great, sweetheart," Samuel stated quietly, smiling even though his dark eyes sparkled with tears, "Congratulations. I hope you'll have a lot of fun at school. We'll send you an invitation anyways. Maybe you'll be able to go to the party and meet the rest of your cousins."

I fidgeted uncomfortably, trying to ignore the furtive looks coming from all around me, all these people who didn't understand why I had to say no, didn't understand that my parents had given up everything they knew to keep my brother and sister and me away from the Kasens as well as the Nenmois. It didn't really matter to me how much nicer and better adjusted the Kasens seemed, how much more caring. I still couldn't trust them and certainly couldn't allow myself or my siblings to associate with them.

"Maybe," I mumbled, bowing out with some grace while I still had the chance. I spotted Sirius coming out of the back room, finally, and grabbed the twins and hurried towards him.

He caught on before reaching me, maneuvering his body in front of mine. "Everything alright, kiddo?" he questioned, voice sweet and soft for my benefit but gaze hard, fixed on my two uncles.

I nodded, relieved to no longer be alone with my daddy's family. Hugging Sirius' hip, I answered, "Ya."

Before I could suggest leaving, Samuel stepped forward, offering his hand out to Sirius. "Ivy was good enough to keep an eye on my son," the man explained, seeming a little uncomfortable when Sirius didn't accept the shake, "We have a hard time keeping track of Matthew sometimes. He gets away from us."

"Sounds like you've got your hands full," Sirius responded, monotone, "We'll let you get back to parenting. Come on, guys."

And then we were leaving, though 'being hustled out' was a more apt description as Sirius alternately pushed and dragged the twins, all the while keeping himself between the Kasens and us. I clung to Sirius.

We were almost out the door when I heard Matthew call after me. "Bye, Ivy!" he said simply, brightly. I turned and saw him smile and wave, sweet and cute and caring.

I whispered, "Bye."

xxXxx

The ride to the Potter house was silent. Well, I guess that's not right. Sirius and I were silent. The twins chattered to each other in their gibberish language, but it was hard to hear even that over the roar of Scarlet's engine.

When we touched down, there was already a crowd of guests milling around in the yard. Sirius sent the twins off inside. I didn't move, frozen and trembling with my face nestled into the back of his leather jacket.

"Hey," Sirius murmured, swinging me around into his lap and hugging me hard, waving James away when he saw the man starting our way with beer and candy and fireworks, "You alright, kiddo?"

I managed a nod that I knew Sirius wouldn't buy, fisting my hands in his t-shirt and trying to let the sounds of the music and happy laughter from the party calm me down. It really wasn't working.

Sirius drew a gentle hand down my back, questioning, "Did your uncles say or do anything to upset you?" His voice, while soft, held an inherent threat. All I had to do was hint a yes, and Sirius would go kick some ass.

I shook my head, quietly responding, "They invited us to Matthew's birthday party."

That seemed to take Sirius by surprise. He paused for a few moments before uncertainly stating, "Oh. Well, um, that's... nice... do you want go?"

My throat felt tight. I shrugged, sniffling and willing myself not to start crying. I hated crying, hated that I'd been doing so much of it lately and that I couldn't seem to stop myself any longer. Before Sirius, I never had a problem holding back tears. Sirius said that it was a good thing, that I must feel safer and was reverting back to being just a regular kid again. I still hated it.

"That's ok," Sirius soothed, pressing a kiss to my forehead, "You don't have to decide right away. You can give it some thought. And, you know, either way, I'll be with you a hundred percent."

I sniffled again, muttering, "They seem nice." They did. My uncles appeared to be good men, doting fathers who had a genuine desire to know their long-lost nieces and nephew. "Just..." I added, "Momma and Daddy had to run away. Because of them. Because they didn't want my parents to be together, or to have me or the twins, all over some stupid, useless feud they still haven't ended or admitted they were wrong about even after all it's cost them. And now they just... I don't get how they can be nice after that, or say they love us. I don't think I can or should trust them."

I felt Sirius smile sadly against my temple, giving me another hard hug as he chuckled, "You really are so smart. There're plenty of grown-ups who wouldn't be able see that, and you figured it out all on your own."

Blushing, I burrowed further into the comforting warmth of Sirius's jacket. "It's not Matthew's fault though," I added, sighing, "He and my other cousins weren't even born yet. And I don't like the idea of ignoring them just because I don't want to be around my uncles. I don't know what to do."

"We'll figure it out," Sirius told me, confident, "Like I said, you don't need to decide anything right away. And there are certainly ways of getting to know your cousins without having to deal too much with your uncles, if that's what you decide you want. Just... don't shut down, ok? Keep on talking to me, and we'll get through this together." He gave a nervous little chuckle, quickly continuing, "That's what families do."

And there it was, that word I needed, the one I'd been unconsciously searching for to describe the tight unit I'd fit myself into. Family. The twins and Sirius and I. James, Lily, Harry. Remus. Bill. So many others.

That was what Sirius had been trying to tell me, why it was ok to cry. I had a family now, one that I could depend on. Before, the twins had depended on me and I'd had no one. And now... now...

I found a smile stretching my face, easy and wide. "Ok," I answered softly, "Ok."

xxXxx

Of course, Harry's party was a loud, fun affair. James and Lily spared no expense, and the entire Order came with their families and children to the protected location to be together and celebrate Harry's life and probably just life in general.

As the two oldest of the next generation, Bill and I mostly helped coordinate games for the little kids--Hide-and-Seek, Tag, Red Rover, Pin-the-Tail--and kept our eyes on the babies. We had a blast. It was pretty much a perfect day.

The one thing that sticks out in my memory as not perfect came near the end. The party had been quieting down, most of the guests leaving full and buzzed and happy. The Weasleys had taken their brood off home, Bill and I having made a lunch date for the following day to finish the third Narnia book, _Voyage of the Dawn Treader_, together. It was really getting good. Peter scampered soon afterwards with Sirius making jokes about the man not wanting to help clean up to which Lily and Remus replied that Sirius wasn't likely to help either.

He didn't. Not really, anyways. James and Sirius put up a good show about going outside to pick up, even going as far as taking their wands and garbage bags with them. However, when I went looking for the pair shortly later, I found them sprawled in the grass a ways away from the house, taking advantage of the warm night and clear sky to share a mostly empty flask of firewhiskey.

It was probably due to the location of the previous contents of the flask that they didn't hear me as I approached. I wasn't trying to be stealthy, but, then again, I have been told that I almost always walk with unnaturally silent steps.

"I just don't know how I'm going to tell her," James moaned, sounding nowhere near as buoyant and hyper as he had just a half hour earlier and throughout the rest of the day. He sighed heavily and took a healthy swig from the flask before passing it back to its owner, "She'll be terrified. And I'm no better. I haven't been able to sleep sound since Dumbledore told me. I'm jumping at every little thing."

"But it might not even be Harry the prophecy's about," Sirius soothed, neglecting his next mouthful and capping the flask with a serious expression, "The Longbottom boy fits the same description, and his parents are both aurors. I think he's more likely to be this all-mighty savior child." He didn't look happy with that thought anymore than he did with the one James presented, whatever it was.

The bespectacled man sighed once more, more than a little soused (which was how Sirius liked his best friend when he was getting him to spill a secret, of which this conversation was clearly concerned). "I'm not going to bet my son's life on what's more likely," James murmured quietly, "Besides, the Dark Lord won't be able to tell who it's about either, so he'll probably just go after both. Dumbledore thinks it's best if Lily and I take Harry and go into hiding. And I think we're going to do it. Soon. We'll relocate the house within Godric's Hollow, maybe to one of the more populated streets. We'll change the address, put a false name on all the papers, get a Fidelius charm set up. Spread the rumor we've left the country. Anything, you know?"

Sirius nodded, "Ya, I know. Anything."

They sat in silence for awhile. I stood still, debating whether or not to approach. Finally, I did.

Both men smiled when they saw me, waving me forward. "Evening, dear-heart," James greeted, pulling me into a quick hug and kiss before letting me take a seat in Sirius' lap. I got the same treatment from my favorite guardian. "Everything alright?" Sirius questioned, only a tiny bit worried.

"Fine," I murmured, sinking into the safety and warmth of Sirius' strong embrace, "All the kids and Lily and Remus fell asleep."

Chuckling, James observed, "Never could hold their liquor, those two. Guess that means Padfoot and I'll be doing some cleanup after all."

"No," I said, wrinkling my nose, "I finished the inside... Is it ok if I ask a question?"

"Sure, kiddo," Sirius replied, yawning but upbeat, "You know you always can."

Nodding, I ventured something that had been on my mind for awhile now: "What're those nicknames you call each other? Padfoot, and Prongs, and Moony, and Wormtail? What do they mean?"

The two men shared an uncertain glance. "Um," Sirius began, carefully petting my shaggy bangs, "That's... sort of a long story, kiddo. And it's not all mine to tell. How about we explain it to you over breakfast? James and Remus and I'll take you out, just the four of us."

"Sure," I murmured, feeling a bit drowsy, content and safe in Sirius' arms.

"Alright," he agreed quietly, giving me another kiss, standing and picking me up with him, "Let's all go inside then, before we end up falling asleep on the lawn. Prongs?"

James was already up, brushing off his trousers and adjusting his glasses and hair. "M'goin," the man mumbled sluggishly.

We set off for the house. I fell fast asleep on Sirius shoulder before we reached it.

xxxxxxxxxx

At last! Sorry for taking so long with this and the (hopefully) upcoming updates. Due to some unexpected personal drama and several unplanned road trips, I didn't get to write nearly as much as I hoped I'd be able to this summer. Anyways, this one is extra long in an attempt to make up for my prolonged absence. If I haven't responded to reviews yet, I apologize. My internet has been acting a bit screwy. It's all fixed now though, and I'll be getting to work answering all of them. I would be delighted if you'd be so kind as to increase my workload. Ta!


	15. Part 15: Once Upon a September

Part 15 - Once Upon a September

So, fun fact about me: I'm a humungous nerd.

According to Judy and her back-alley brand of let's-pretend psychology, my intense desire to know absolutely everything about everything probably stems from deep-seated control issues brought about by early childhood abuse and abandonment and the immense amount of responsibility I've been shouldering since. She believes that I seek knowledge in order to gain some subconscious sense of power over things that are really outside my ability to influence. I consciously believe I never should've bought her that damn psych textbook.

But, whether it's natural or a result of the way I've lived my life (or the way life has run over me like a freight train at every fucking opportunity), my nerdhood has always compelled me to seek out information, especially in new, frightening, and/or confusing situations.

One such situation arose when I learned the Big Furry Secret: Remus Lupin was a werewolf.

At eleven years old, I didn't know anything about werewolves that I hadn't gleaned from horror movies and Halloween costumes. Hell, I was still adjusting to the idea that magic was real and that I possessed some, that a magical race war was in full swing and that I'd found myself pretty much smack dab in the middle of it. Being told that werewolves were not only real but that I'd been around one for months was slightly unnerving.

And of course there was the fact that the Remus I knew in no way matched up to my preconceived notion of what a werewolf was, how one would look and sound and act. Remus was just too sweet and quiet and kind and smart. I came to the conclusion that I'd been misinformed and promptly set about trying to gather as much knowledge as I could about werewolves, trying to understand my new friend and put my mind at ease.

I came to learn that most books about werewolves are sadly biased, not to mention outdated. Most are filled with superstition, conjecture, or outright lies. Many offer tips and tricks for identifying werewolves when they're in their human forms. So-called lycan features range from unibrows to furry tongues to hidden vestigial tails. Remus was happily bemused to demonstrate that he possessed none of these (except for the tail; he deemed such exposure inappropriate, but Sirius and James both vouched for his tail-lessness, and that was good enough for me).

Some books claim that werewolves are seventh sons of seventh sons; since Remus was an only child, I dismissed this early on. Other outlandish supposed causes for the condition include cannibalism, devil worship, and the wearing of enchanted wolf skins. Again, Remus assured me at great length that he had never taken part in any such activity, that he had been attacked and bitten as a boy and that was it.

Another falsehood in the literature is that werewolves can make the transformation at will and are therefore inherently vicious and a constant threat. Remus told me that this was also untrue; he and all others afflicted transform exclusively during full moons. The werewolf virus also cannot be passed except through the venom of a transformed werewolf's bite, also only during full moons. During the rest of the month, lycans pose no more danger than any other humans. That is to say, only as much as each individual's nature will allow.

Remus was not allergic to silver, at least not when he wasn't transformed. I'd previously witnessed him handle a set of the Potters' silver candlesticks without discomfort. The same applied to rye, mistletoe, and ash, all of which are reported to repel lycans but do not affect them in any way. Remus did tell me that handling wolfsbane gave him a rash and sometimes a stomachache, but he also told me that research was being done to hopefully turn the herb into an eventual cure for his condition.

Throughout the August before I left for Hogwarts, I gradually satisfied all my curiosities about lycanthropy. I felt well-informed and quite certain that Remus was not and would probably never be a direct threat to myself or the twins. He did pose a slight threat to Sirius, James, and Peter, but that was only because the three still insisted on accompanying him on every full moon excursion. I thought it was rather unwise of them--even though they could transform themselves into animals at will; all three were illegal animagi, and wasn't that super cool? I'd always wanted a dog--however, I understood the urge they had to be there for their friend. And I couldn't have done anything to stop the trio anyways.

That didn't mean I was happy about learning that their monthly "Boy's Nights" were a cover for Remus' transformations. Didn't mean I didn't sit up all night when it came that month, so worried that I made myself physically ill. Lily tried her best to keep me calm, but she didn't do that much good. I threw up several times and didn't sleep and didn't feel the least bit better until Sirius came home in the morning, until I could run into his arms and know that he was safe. The several moons I sat through with the knowledge of exactly what was going on out at the Shrieking Shack passed in much the same way, though the nausea did eventually subside to bearable levels.

But despite the fact that lycanthropy and illegal animigagihood were kind of a big deal, they played a surprisingly minor role in the events to follow.

And, actually, my newfound knowledge was probably beneficial. The prospect of starting at a new school seemed simple and undaunting by comparison. Not that I wasn't still freaked out, but not as much as I probably should've and would've been.

Sirius was also a wonderful distraction. He was determined to take his position as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor very seriously and spent most of August simply trying to think of the best, most useful and entertaining lessons for each one of his classes. And I got to help.

Sirius tested out his lesson plans on me, and I gave feedback, in the process learning _way_ past my own grade level. Bill came over and participated sometimes. It probably wasn't fair to the other kids for us to have such a jump on them, but Bill and I were both very bright; it wasn't like we weren't going to be setting curves either way.

We also got a look at the class list for our year (apparently teachers get copies of all the rosters ahead of time). Sirius and Bill knew a lot more people on it than I did (at least by surname), so they had some fun guessing who would get sorted into which house.

The Slytherins were the easiest. Both Sirius and Bill went down the list and immediately knew from last names alone the most likely candidates.

"Duval, Emmett, Ivanov, Ness, Rider, Upton, Yates," Sirius declared, sharing a knowing nod with Bill, "That'll be the first-year Slytherin class, I'd put money on it."

Frowning, I argued, "But anyone guessing when _you _went to school would've put _you _in Slytherin, right? That's what you said! That pureblooded families most often go to Slytherin. You shouldn't assume. I mean, going by that reasoning, Bill and I will end up in that house, too. We're both purebloods."

Bill's face got this really pinched, smelled-a-fart look on it. The boy argued, "It's not the same with you and me, Ivy. You just don't get how different some of the families are from each other. It's like... like comparing your mean aunt with my mum."

At the thought of Vivienne, I shuddered reflexively. Billy immediately looked repentant; Sirius looked like he was holding himself back from smacking the boy upside the head.

Committed to the idea of pretending that the horrible woman didn't exist, I changed the subject. "I still don't understand how they sort us, anyways," I said, still harping on the mystery because it was as good a topic as any, "Why can't you just tell us?"

Beaming, Sirius threw an arm around my shoulders and tucked me tight against his side. "Because," he declared, "If I tell you, then it ruins the surprise. The surprise is the best part!" He flicked through a dusty old book, asking, "Anyways, how do you feel about bogarts?"

"Bogarts are easy," Bill chimed, sprawled happily on the living room floor, "I helped Dad clean one out of the attic last year."

"Well aren't you special," Sirius teased in reply, yawning and stretching theatrically. "Whatever," he said, "I think it's about time we took a break. Ice cream?"

"Ya!" Bill eagerly agreed, scrambling up from the floor, bouncing on the balls of his feet while he waited for Sirius and me to get up too and follow him into the kitchen.

Sirius chuckled, shaking his head at the boy's antics. "You have a weird friend," Sirius observed as he gave my hair a fond tousle. It had been growing out all summer and fell in a dark, choppy mess to just past my chin.

I smiled, agreeing, "I know."

xxXxx

"You know," Sirius told me that evening after Bill had gone home, "You can start practicing with your wand, if you want."

Frowning, I carefully lined up a shot across the pool table and replied, "I'm not allowed outside of school."

Sirius smirked wickedly, stating, "Well, not technically. But I was thinking. The way they keep track of underage kids using magic outside of school is a spell that gets put on at birth. Since you weren't born in a wizarding hospital, you never would've gotten the spell."

"I really can?" I questioned, grinning up at Sirius.

He smirked, chuckling, "Sure. Go get your wand and let's see what you've got."

Grinning, I immediately turned and stomped upstairs and took my wand from its place of honor at my bedside. I was back downstairs in mere seconds, ready and eager. "What should I try first?" I beamed, bouncing on the balls of my feet and swishing my wand about in the air. It didn't throw off sparks when I did that any longer; I guess wands only do that the first time.

"What've you read about so far?" Sirius questioned brightly.

"Lots of stuff," I chirped, rifling through my massively dorky mental catalogue of spell information before settling on, "_Accio_?"

"Sounds good," Sirius encouraged. He leaned a hip against the pool table, prompting, "Give it a whirl, kiddo."

Clearing my throat and adjusting my stance, I held out my arm, focused on a squishy pillow on the couch, and I declared, "_Accio_."

Nothing happened.

Sirius laughed lightly, stating, "Get your arm up a little higher. Keep your elbow a little straighter and let your wrist do the work. Emphasize the _Ah_ a bit more."

I nodded very seriously, concentrating hard as I tried again. "_Accio_."

The pillow kind of flopped of the couch.

Again, Sirius laughed. "It's a good start," he said, crossing over to stand behind me and adjust my stance and grip, "Once more I think will do it."

xxXxx

Sirius's patient nightly lessons were one of my absolute favorite things about the time we spent together. I learned pool, motorcycle repair, basic spell casting. I learned that I was worth something to someone, and that did wonders for my self-esteem.

The summer was passing quickly, filled with playdates and studying and looking after the twins. Mostly looking after the twins because that's always my first priority.

Early one morning only a few days before we were set to leave for Hogwarts, I woke to hushed giggles and creeping little feet. I stayed still and quiet, pretending to be asleep as the giggles and footsteps got closer to my bed, until Noah's shaggy head slowly appeared over the edge of my mattress.

Obviously thinking I was still sleeping, the boy snickered, holding a hand against his mouth to keep myself quiet (though not really succeeding at all). He reached forward with his other hand, index finger poking the tip of my nose several times. I wiggled my nose, and Noah shrieked happily, ducking back beneath the edge of the mattress.

After a few moments, he appeared again, eyes bright and full of mischief. He repeated the same poking, again cackling and hiding when I showed signs of movement. After three or four more cycles of the same game, Noah was so greatly amused that I had no trouble slipping off the other side of the bed undetected while he was ducked down enjoying the hiding part of his game.

I crawled under the frame, watching Noah's pudgy legs when the boy stood again and noticed that I had vanished. His feet spun in a wide circle. I could hear the pout in his voice when he called, "Ivy! Whewe did you go?"

That was my cue to reach out and grab onto his little ankles and yank the boy under the bed.

Noah squealed, kicking and flailing, laughing when he saw that it was just me. He threw his arms around my neck, giving me a big sloppy kiss on the cheek before snuggling in tight. "Thewe you awe," he cooed, sighing happily, "I thought I lost you!"

"Of course not, No," I told my brother, "I'll always be around... what're you doing up so early?"

"I heawd a noise while I was sleeping," he announced, "But it was just Judy snowing-"

"Sno_ring_, silly," I interrupted. We'd been trying to cure Noah of his cute little speech impediment, at least when his mispronunciations actually altered the meanings of the words.

"Sno_wing_," he repeated, rolling his brown eyes, reaching out to twirl my hair through his chubby fingers, "And that woked me up. But Siwius was woked up, too, and we was gonna make waffles, but then a man winged the doowbell, and Siwius said I had to go upstaiws while they talked."

I frowned, questioning, "Who was the man? Did you recognize him?"

Noah shrugged. "Maybe," he said, "I think he was hewe a long long long time ago, but I don't know his name. He was with a mean lady last time."

Still frowning, I tried to work out who the mystery caller might be... and then I remembered the visit from Sirius's mother and brother, how Sirius had chased his mean mother away and how his brother seemed at least a little nicer. Maybe the brother had come by. What was his name again?...

Judy's scowling face popped into my line of sight. "What're you doing under here?" she demanded, all outraged and bratty, cheeks flushed and curly blonde hair matted from sleep.

"Nothin," Noah chirped, beaming at his twin, squirming in my arms, "You wanna play blocks?"

"No," Judy snapped, crouching pointedly, "I want breakfast."

"Go play with Noah," I ordered, crawling out from underneath the bed and helping my baby brother do the same, "I'll check on breakfast and come get you when it's ready, ok?"

Though she didn't look particularly thrilled with the idea, Judy let out a great heaving sigh and agreed, "Fine. Come on, Noah."

"Yay," Noah laughed, running from my room with his twin in tow, "Siwius taught me a new game!"

Actually, Sirius had taught him to use his counting blocks for simplified dice games, betting with stuffed animals and colorful socks. I guess it wasn't the best thing he could have imparted to the impressionable toddler, but Noah did have an awfully fun time learning and playing the game; he was really good. And I was sure that once Judy was brought into the fold, the competition would only heat up.

With the twins sufficiently distracted, I was free to drift downstairs, only sneaking a little bit and only because Sirius was likely to send me off, too. He trusted me with a lot of things, but this had to do with his family, and he did not want me or the twins dealing with anything to do with his family.

"Just don't do anything stupid, Reg," I heard from the kitchen, accompanied by the sounds of Sirius hurriedly banging around, "Hang out until we get a reply. Then we'll go from there."

"There is no time," another voice declared, low and tight with poorly contained urgency. Peering around the corner, I saw Sirius and a shorter, black-haired man standing on opposite sides of the kitchen counter, glaring. The shorter man scowled, straightening his already impeccably neat dress robes and adding, "I came because I thought you could help me. If you're not going to, then I'll leave."

"I am helping you!" Sirius bellowed, clearly frustrated, "Dumbledore is the head of the Order, not to mention the most powerful wizard born for three ages! He'll know what to do, and, hopefully, it won't involve barreling ass-first into one of the Dark Lord's traps! So, until Dumbledore answers, we're going to sit right here and have fucking _breakfast_!"

Hearing Sirius just about scream the last word made me jump, which gave away my presence. Both men turned and saw me, Sirius schooling his features into a faux-bright calm, the other man deepening his scowl.

"Hey, kiddo," Sirius chirped, waving me forward, "Waffles this morning?"

"Ok," I replied, edging towards my guardian while keeping an unblinking watch on his brother.

Seeming to remember his manners, Sirius palmed the back of my head and declared, "This is Regulus, love. My little brother. Reg, Ivy."

"Nice to meet you," I murmured, shrinking into Sirius's side

His brother made an obvious effort to drop the scowl, though he didn't succeed entirely. He reached out to shake my hand, attempting a curt smile as he stated, "Charmed."

Then we had ourselves a bit of an awkward moment...

It went on for quite awhile...

Then Sirius coughed, ruffling my hair and moving toward the cabinets. "So," he said, "Waffles. You want to get the eggs and milk, love?"

I scampered for the fridge, retrieving the requested ingredients as well as a few pieces of fruit. Judy was a very picky eater; pretty much the only time I could get her to eat fruit without a fight was when it was drowned in syrup on waffles, pancakes, or other sweetened, cake-like substances.

By the time I made my way back to the counter, Regulus had taken a seat in one of the barstools. He watched, seeming rather uncomfortable, while Sirius and I mixed up the batter and got the waffles ironing and started slicing up strawberries, bananas, and apples. The conversation was strained and pretty much exclusively took place between Sirius and me. We talked about what we would need to pack when we moved to Hogwarts, all the while entirely conscious of our unwilling and uncomfortable audience.

When the waffles were almost done, I ran upstairs to herd the twins. By the time I got back to the kitchen, Sirius and his brother were engaged in a quite heated argument. I remember being very impressed that they'd gotten into it so quickly.

"Well, I'm not waiting around while you play house with your pack of little orphans!" Regulus roared, sweeping out the front door in a flurry of black cloaks, nearly mowing the twins and me down as he went.

Sirius chased after the man, shouting, "REG! DON'T!" He paused briefly on the threshold, giving his hair a frustrated tug. "Lock the door behind me," he ordered sharply, checking his wand and then running after his brother, "And take the waffles out of the iron!"

I watched as Sirius ran down the drive, as his brother walked swiftly but fast enough to make it past the apparition perimeter before Sirius could reach him. I watched Regulus blink away into thin air.

xxXxx

Sirius's brother was never seen again. He just seemed to disappear off the face of the earth. Sirius looked and looked for him, running around, calling on and owling everyone he could think of--even his hated mother--but no one had seen even a trace of the man after he vanished from our drive.

As one might expect, Sirius didn't handle the loss particularly well. He was kind of a wreck, clearly distraught but doing his best to put on a brave face for us kids, especially when it came time to set off for Hogwarts.

He was worried that Regulus might come back to the house and find us gone, so he convinced Remus to move in and keep an eye on the place, just in case. And, since he needed to give Remus the lay of the land and since the Potters were doing their best to keep a very low profile, everyone gathered at our house on the morning of September 1st to say goodbye. Even Bill came with his family, Lily having offered to watch all the younger kids while Mr. and Mrs. W went to the train station.

"You're going to do great, gorgeous," James declared happily, sweeping me off my feet and into a long, tight hug. He planted a messy kiss on my neck, making me giggle. "I'm totally jealous," the man declared when he finally let me go, fixing his glasses and messy black hair, "Most of the best times of my life were at Hogwarts! There's always an adventure in that school, just waiting to be discovered."

"You're getting poetic in your old age, Prongsie," Sirius teased half-heartedly, checking the locks on my trunk for what had to be the fourth time, grinning as Judy chased either Fred or George through the entryway.

Snorting, James quipped, "Old age my arse. You're the one actually embarking on a respectable grownup career over here. Never thought I'd see that day."

"Don't know about _respectable_," Sirius grumbled, approaching and hitting his friend with a good-natured elbow to the gut.

Lily rolled her eyes at the both of them, taking her turn at hugging me and then Bill. "We're so proud of you kids," she beamed, smoothing down my unruly hair (no doubt lamenting the fact that she never talked me into that proper haircut she was so set on), "Keep in touch, ok? Let us know how you're doing and if there's anything you need." She smiled back, kind and sweet. Her red hair was loose and neat, tucked behind her ears. Her green eyes shined with happiness.

If I had known it would be the last time I'd ever see the woman, I probably would've said something meaningful, something to express just how much I appreciated all the care she'd shown to me and my brother and sister, helping watch over us when we needed it most.

Instead, I just smiled, quietly, leaning into her tender touch. It was almost like having a mother who loved me again, for a little while.

"James and I have something for you kids," Lily announced brightly, waving her husband forward with two small wrapped packages that he hadn't had just moments before.

"Open 'em up!" James ordered, obviously excited as he pushed the little boxes into our hands. At a quiet _hehem_ from Lily, the tall man added, "Oh, but be careful. They're sort of fragile."

Bill and I went through the wrapping paper with as much speed as we dared after that, opening the small white boxes to each reveal a small white egg tucked carefully into a nest of downy gray feathers.

"They're owl eggs!" James announced excitedly, "Cuz we wanted to buy you two owls but thought you might enjoy seeing them hatch! I raised mine from an egg, and she's just the sweetest thing."

"Wow!" Billy chimed, staring at his egg in wonder, "That's _so cool_! I can't wait to see what they look like! What kinds of owls are they? Are they boys or girls? Are they related? How fast will they be able to go? How much-"

"Merlin's sakes, Bill," Mr. Weasley chuckled, rocking Ginny to sleep, "If you'd like some of your questions answered, you're going to have to stop for a breath."

Bill pouted up at his father and then at James and Lily.

Chuckling, Lily took pity and explained, "We won't know what they look like or if they're boys or girls until they hatch, and the woman at the store said they came from different clutches, so I don't think they're related. I'm not sure what species they are, but, from the size of the eggs, I assume they're from the larger varieties."

"_Awesome_," Billy whispered, peering back and forth between his own egg and mine.

I touched mine softly, feeling the warm, delicate surface.

"Now," Lily instructed primly, "The eggs have charms on them to keep them warm and safe for quite awhile, but when you get to Hogwarts, go see Hagrid. He'll be able to help you take care of them until they hatch."

"Thanks," I murmured, getting another hug from each of the Potters.

"Alright then," Sirius spoke up, taking out his wand and levitating my trunk towards the fireplace, "Time to go."

"Remus and I are going to see you on the first moon, alright?" James assured me, giving another big hug, "Try to keep Padfoot out of trouble until then."

"I'll do my best," I laughed, pulling away to get a hug from the wereman as well.

"I'm sure you will, dear," Remus chuckled, dropping a fond kiss onto the top of my head. We'd gotten quite a bit closer now that I knew his secret; I don't think he ever really let anyone in until they knew and accepted him anyways.

"Ya, ya," Sirius complained, readying the floo powder, "I'm a freaking delinquent. We need to get a move on before they miss the train."

"Ivy," Noah called, appearing at my side, pouting, "Whewe awe you going?"

I hefted my brother up onto my hip, cuddling him close. "I'm going to ride the train to school, remember?" I told him, "You and Judy are taking the motorcycle with Sirius, and I'll see you all there later tonight. Ok?"

He nodded, still kind of unhappy. "Oh ya," he muttered, "I 'member... can I wide the twain with you?"

"Come on, pipsqueak," Sirius scolded, grabbing Noah from me, tossing the boy into the air a few times until he was giggling happily, "You don't want to leave me alone with Judy, do you? Who's going to protect me from her if you're not there?"

Noah snickered, agreeing, "I'll pwotect you." He allowed himself to be handed off to Lily, who leaned him in to give me another hug. "I love you, Ivy!" he chirped, smooching my cheek.

"I love you, too, Noah," I replied, sort of getting choked up. It was still hard for me to leave my brother and sister, even for short times and even when I knew they would be perfectly safe.

Judy rushed into the room, latching onto one of my ankles for a quick squeeze. "Bye," she babbled hurriedly, already running off again to play with the other set of twins, "I love you!"

"Love you, too," I laughed, finally letting myself be hustled into the floo and away towards the station.

xxXxx

Outside the train, Bill and I got another round of hugs, this time from his mom and dad, his two uncles, and from Sirius. Mrs. Weasley sniffled a bit over both of us, but ultimately let us go.

"Alright, kiddo," Sirius beamed, ignoring the surrounding chaos and taking a knee just outside one of the car doors, "Be good, but not too good. Have lots of fun, and the twins and I will meet you at the castle."

"Ok," I murmured, starting to get nervous again.

Sirius must've sensed it (or, maybe, I was just that obvious). He gave me one final hug and kiss, whispering, "You're going to do fine. Nobody will hurt you, and everything's going to be ok. Ok?"

I nodded, actually feeling a bit better. I had just enough time to crack a small smile before Bill appeared to yank me up into the train. A backwards glance revealed Sirius watching with a fond but sad expression.

Once actually away from my family, I got nervous again. There were so many kids in the train, shouting and laughing and running. I started feeling almost immediately claustrophobic, practically squeezing Billy's hand off as he dragged me down the hallway, chattering about something or other and wrestling with his trunk. It was a struggle to keep my own trunk from gouging the backs of my ankles as I walked.

By some miracle, Bill managed to find us an empty compartment near the back of the train. We stowed our trunks and were just in time lean out the window and wave goodbye to our families as the engine lurched forward.

Once clear of the station, it really started to hit me. I was really going...

I would've been perfectly content to spend the entire trip freaking out quietly in a corner, not talking to anyone or even trying to make any new friends. Fortunately or not, depending on your point of view, Bill was an intensely social creature and pretty much incapable of letting that happen.

"What do you think the castle looks like?" he asked, sitting on the opposite bench but barely keeping still for a split second before he was up again, pacing, examining everything within reach. Talking. "Do you think they'll let us do flying on the first day or make us wait? I hope they let us the first day. That would be totally wicked! I'm hope we end up in the same house so that we can have all our classes together. I wonder what we have first. I hope it's Sirius's class. And then potions. And then transfiguration. Dad said that the food at Hogwarts is the best! I'll bet they have an awesome feast lined up for us tonight!"

I'm sure he had a lot more to say (probably could've kept on talking without pause for the entire ride), but that was about the moment when a knock at the compartment door distracted the boy.

A pretty blonde girl who looked about our age stuck her head in. "Hi," she smiled, "Do you have room for a few more?"

"Sure," Billy answered happily, quickly stowing our trunks to make space, "Come on in!"

The girl came in, followed by what seemed like a never-ending stream of other kids.

I switched sides, putting myself between Bill and the compartment's far wall.

"I'm Marta Lund," the girl beamed, bright blue eyes shining as she reached out to give both Bill and me a friendly handshake. After taking up the seat I'd just vacated, Marta went around the flood of other kids and introduced them as well.

"This is Thea Zhang-" a tiny Asian girl with very long black hair and a round, pale face, "Terence Aaronson-" a tall, gangly boy with freckles and shaggy, dusky blonde hair, "Hannah Benjamin-" a chubby brunette with square glasses, a poofy purple skirt, and a crooked but mischievous grin, "Claudia Taggart-" a girl who looked like she'd just come off the beach, sporting sun-highlighted brown hair, a deep tan, dark shades, cut-off shorts, flip-flops, and a tie bikini beneath a plain white tank top, "Arista Ness-" a slim black girl with buzzed hair, dark eyes, and a grim, serious smile, "and Ezra Yates-" a small, prim, pale boy with dark hair and a dark suit and tie that he spent every other second straightening anxiously.

"Hi!" Bill chirped excitedly, practically crawling over the kids' laps trying to shake hands with all of them, "I'm Bill. Bill Weasley. This is my friend Ivy Sennen. We're first-years. Are you guys first-years too?"

"Yup," Claudia replied, shaking out her long mane of messy beach hair, "All the ones who almost missed the train. Where are you all from?"

"Well, I'm from Ottery St. Catchpole," Bill answered brightly, "Ivy used to live in California. She's just moved to England a few months ago."

"Wicked," Claudia beamed, smiling sweetly, "Where in California? I just got back from San Diego. My mum lives there, and I was visiting for the summer. It was so much fun. We almost forgot about today. My dad's probably still chewing her out in the station."

And then everyone was looking at me for an answer. I felt my face getting hot, found myself softly stating, "I was born in Santa Monica. I lived there until I was ten, then I moved to Paradise. It's in the north. And then I moved to England."

Claudia's hazel eyes grew wider, happier. "Oh, I love Santa Monica!" she beamed, "Great beaches there, and Venice, too!"

"Doesn't compare to the _real_ Venice," Ezra piped up, proud and boastful yet still obviously nervous, "That's where I spent my summer. Mother and Father have a vacation home on one of the canals."

"Big deal," Hannah chimed, sprawled on the floor with Thea because there was no more space on the seats, "I'd take a nice Cali beach over some stuffy ancient city any day." Her accent was Irish, almost too heavy for me to understand.

"Have you ever been to Sweden?" Marta asked, bright and sweet, "My parents are from there. We went back this summer and visited my grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins. It was really great! All the cities are so beautiful, and everyone's so nice!"

"My stepdad made me spend the summer digging ditches," Terence sighed, showing off his rough, cracked palms, "Said I needed to build character or some such nonsense. Merlin, you steal one freaking car and you're paying for it the rest of your life."

We all stared at the boy.

He laughed, amending, "Nah, just kidding. I never stole a car. It was only a dirt bike."

We all kept staring.

A boy with a short mop of curly black hair stuck his head in the door. "Hey," he said, "Can we sit in here? A bunch of fifth-years just kicked me and my brother out of our compartment, and all the rest are totally full."

"That's terrible!" Marta gasped.

Nodding, Bill waved the boy in and said, "If you want to squeeze in, you're welcome."

"Thanks," the boy beamed, stepping in, dragging a shouting carbon copy by the shirt collar.

"Ya," the copy screamed out the door, struggling, "You'd better run! Pushy wankers! Don't think you've seen the last of me!"

"I'm Leon Dwyer," the first boy said, tugging his brother along as he carefully stepped over the bodies on the floor and ultimately found a seat near my feet, "This is my brother, Noel."

Noel had abandoned his screaming but was still fuming angrily, slumped against the far wall near Marta's feet.

Leon elbowed him in the side, hissing, "Say hi, pillock."

Seeming to snap out of his foul mood, Noel looked up and around at all of us, grinning broadly and chirping, "Hi, pillock."

Bill and Terence and Claudia and Hannah all giggled.

I was feeling quite a bit more claustrophobic. The extra bodies seemed to have shrunken the small space in the compartment, and it was all I could do to concentrate on remaining calm, on breathing through the sensation of my lungs closing in on themselves. I opened the window and leaned my head a bit out of it, sucking in fresh air. That helped a great deal, and, soon, I felt more composed and ready to rejoin the flow of conversation.

Marta was in the process of going around the group and introducing everyone to the Dwyer brothers. Going counter-clockwise, she got to me last, stating, "And this is Ivy... oh, sorry. I don't remember your last name, Ivy. What was it again?"

"Sennen," I murmured quietly, again feeling my face get hot.

"Sennen," Ezra repeated, narrowing his eyes, "Wait. I know you. You're the one the Kasens and Nenmois have been fighting about all summer. I was at that party where you were presented."

The flush on my face got even worse. I couldn't think of any reply, so I just hugged my knees to my chest and tried to keep my head down, hoping they would get the hint and change the subject.

"You look really different," Ezra went on, apparently oblivious to my discomfort, "I wouldn't have recognized you at all. Is it true that your aunt went insane and killed your cousin?"

Everyone was looking at me again, this time in pity and awe. I still didn't know what to say.

"Sorry, mate," Bill piped up, reaching down and giving my hand a comforting squeeze, "But that's none of your damn business."

More shocked looks, glances between Ezra and us. Bill giving off a very clear shut-up-or-I'll-beat-you-up vibe.

Ezra squirmed and fiddled with his tie, thoroughly told off. "I was just asking," he grumbled.

Uncomfortable silence reigned.

"So, um," Marta declared, "What did everyone else do on their summer hols?"

The conversation took a friendlier turn after that, and, even though I didn't participate very much, I enjoyed listening. Enjoyed watching Bill enthusiastically take part, all the while keeping a steady grip on my hand.

xxxxxxxxxx

Another chapter down. Hoorah. Be dears and let me know what you think :)


	16. Part 16: The First Day

Part 16 - The First Day (Why Dumbledore Isn't Allowed to Babysit)

The Hogwarts first-year class of 1981-82 was as follows:

Terence Aaronson - Hufflepuff

Inez Azarola - Ravenclaw

Hannah Benjamin - Gryffindor

Grace Carson - Hufflepuff

Marguerite Duval - Slytherin

Oscar Duval - Slytherin

Leon Dwyer - Ravenclaw

Noel Dwyer - Gryffindor

Donovan "Donny" Elsinore - Hufflepuff

Rigel Emmett - Slytherin

Jonah Fischer - Ravenclaw

Bettina Frank - Ravenclaw

Marco Garza - Gryffindor

Tracy Haas - Gryffindor

Safiya Hasan - Hufflepuff

Nikolai Ivanov - Slytherin

Tatiana Ivanova - Slytherin

Yelena Ivanova - Slytherin

Paul Joiner - Ravenclaw

Conrad "Connie" Kerry - Gryffindor

Anton "Tony" Lerner - Hufflepuff

Marta Lund - Hufflepuff

Warner Malone - Hufflepuff

Louise Murdock - Ravenclaw

Arista Ness - Gryffindor

Priscilla North - Slytherin

Katherine "Kat" O'Keefe - Gryffindor

Deacon Prescott - Ravenclaw

Jennifer "Jenny" Quick - Hufflepuff

Owen Rey - Ravenclaw

Simon Rider - Slytherin

Ivy Sennen - Gryffindor

Claudia Taggart - Ravenclaw

Saul Templeton - Hufflepuff

Juliana Upton - Slytherin

Vera van Horn - Hufflepuff

William "Bill" Weasley - Gryffindor

Freya Wolf - Gryffindor

Ezra Yates - Slytherin

Theodosia "Thea" Zhang - Ravenclaw

Our year was an unusual one for many reasons, most of which had to do with Voldemort's rise. We had a higher influx of foreign students whose parents wanted their children at Hogwarts because it was reported to be--and truthfully probably was--the safest place in the whole world. This phenomenon appeared in every class level, but the among the first-years alone there was Inez Azarola from Spain, Grace Carson from Canada, Marguerite and Oscar Duval from France, Marco Garza from Mexico, Safiya Hasan from Jordan, and Vera van Horn from Holland.

Also notable was the fact that the Ivanovs--Nikolai, Tatiana, and Yelena--had been included. The half siblings all had the same father and different mothers, had been raised bouncing between England and various Eastern European countries, including their Russian homeland. Their father was reported to be a hardcore Death Eater; at the very least, he was a self-righteous pureblood who believed in the same sort of racial cleansing that the Dark Lord was attempting to implement. And he had publically feuded with Dumbledore through the press. No one quite understood why he would send his children to Dumbledore's school.

Arista Ness was also a big topic of conversation. Coming from another ancient pureblood line, one that was (surprise, surprise) very vocal about "protecting the race," Arista ended up sorted into Gryffindor. This was a huge shock, one that you could see on the faces of most of those present. Except Arista herself. The lean black girl remained absolutely stoic, somber, as she took her seat at the table.

And, of course, there was me, the long-lost American-born Kasen-Nenmoi heir (with Dimitri's death I was, in fact, the oldest grandchild for both families, and that apparently meant something big that I didn't even want to know about). A lot of kids had overheard my story, either from their parents' gossip or through the press, and, by the time the feast was through, word had gotten around. I hated the attention, all the looks and whispers. After Ezra asked me about them on the train, no one else had the nerve to bring the rumors up to me personally (mostly thanks to Bill). And I was at least grateful for that. And for Bill, keeping close.

Other than these things, I'm told that our first night went pretty much as they always go. The first-years all froze our butts off on the boat ride across the lake. The hat sung; we were listed off and sorted into our houses. Everyone stuffed themselves and went to bed.

Everyone except Bill and me. Sirius had said he would come to the Tower and get me so that he could show me where his quarters were and so that I could tuck in the twins. Bill, of course, insisted on staying up and coming with us.

"Isn't it _awesome_?" my friend beamed, still seemingly in shock as he wandered through the round red common room touching things, "I can't believe we get to go here. I can't believe we got sorted into the same house! We're going to have such a fun time! Did the Hat say anything to you while you were wearing it? It said that I was valiant and loyal! It almost sorted me into Hufflepuff because of the loyalty thing but ended up deciding that I was more valiant, and chivalrous, too. What do you think our first class will be? I hope it's Sirius's class. Is he coming soon? I don't want to get caught out after curfew on the first night. I don't want to lose our house any points already. I mean, I don't want to lose them _ever_, but the first night would be pretty bad. And I'm not even tired. I'd rather look around the castle tonight. That way I'll already know where everything is by tomorrow. We're gonna go to Hagrid's tomorrow, right? Freya said he was the really big guy with the beard who was running the boats. She said he's half giant! Isn't that cool? I can't wait until I get taller. Dad says I'm gonna be tall, he can tell. Did the house-elves put your stuff away, too? Isn't that weird? Which bed did you get? I got the one farthest away from the door. It goes Tracy, then Mario, then me, then Noel, then Connie. Conrad said to call him Connie. Isn't that cool?-"

"_Bill_," I finally interrupted, laughing from the couch as he made his third lap of the deserted room, "Relax. You're making me dizzy."

Bill chuckled, flopping down beside me. "Sorry," he declared, "Mum says I'm excitable. And, you know, the Sorting Hat said something like that, too..."

I laughed again, because, well, _understatement_. "It's alright," I told my friend, "This _is _pretty exciting. And I do want to go see Hagrid tomorrow. We'll have to find out where he lives and take our eggs down there."

"Awesome," Bill chimed, still fidgeting, "Did you get a chance to talk to your roommates? Did you like them?"

Smiling softly, I replied, "Ya. They seem nice. Arista didn't say much, but Hannah, Freya, and Kat are all really funny."

Normal human interaction with complete strangers: I was quite proud of myself.

(The hat had remarked that I was a brave, selfless soul who had been beaten down by forces I was far too young to have to bear; it said that I had a tremendous capacity to heal if I could only call upon the courage to allow it to happen.)

"Cool," Bill declared, swinging his feet back and forth off the edge of the squashy red sofa. After a moment, he stopped swinging, becoming serious as he stated, "Sorry about what Ezra said on the train. I think he's got a touch of that foot-in-mouth disease."

Snickering, I replied, "Don't worry about it. Thanks for sticking up for me."

Bill beamed. "Any time."

The common room door swung open, and Sirius came inside. He looked... different. I'd seen him briefly during the feast and after, but I still couldn't quite get over just how handsome and, indeed, respectable he looked in his professor robes. His goatee had been thinned out a bit and perfectly groomed, and he'd even combed his hair, taming the sleek black mess into a neat ponytail at the crown of his skull. He looked like... an adult.

"Hey, kiddo," he greeted, smiling, holding his arms out as I ran into them, "Long time no see. How was the train ride?"

"It was alright," I said, more relieved than I thought I would be just to see him again, "Did you and the twins get settled in ok?"

"Oh ya," Sirius chuckled, running his fingers through my hair, reaching out to give Bill a nice manly handshake, "Like a breeze. And Noah and Judy are having a ball. The house-elves are going to spoil them rotten."

Laughing as Sirius guided both Bill and me out of the room, I countered, "Like you're one to talk on that subject."

"You got me," he snickered.

xxXxx

Sirius's quarters were on the second floor, in the suite attached to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. One way into the small apartment was through the first floor classroom, up a flight of stairs and through a very heavily warded door and the DADA professor's office. The second floor entrance was something few people knew about, though a lot of them probably walked by it all the time. Tucked into a secluded alcove near the swiveling staircase was a portrait of a grumpy old man in a rocking chair. The old man had an orange tabby cat that darted nervously throughout the frame, yowling and angrily swishing its crooked tail.

"So the password is _waffle butt_," Sirius explained, nodding at the man before the picture swung open. Turning to smile at us, my guardian added, "Judy picked it. She and Old Sam are quite the pals already."

I nodded, just kind of eager to see my brother and sister.

As soon as we stepped inside, we were greeted by a double cry of "IVY!" Within a split second, I had a twin wrapped around each leg, both of them beaming up at me with great big sugary grins.

"Guess what! Guess what!" Noah squealed, jumping up and down and yanking hard on my robes, "We got to eat dinnew with _elves_! They made us ouw own _cake_!"

"Wow," I laughed, scooping both hyperactive toddlers up into my arms, "That was really nice of them. Did you say thanks?"

"Of _course_ we did," Judy snarked, rolling her pretty blue eyes, "We're not dumb, Ivy."

"I never said you were," I responded, giving both twins a hug and kiss before setting them back down and finally having a look around.

The quarters were spacious but cozy, gray stone floors adorned with rich red rugs (one fuzzy, fluffy black one in front of the hearth) and gray stone walls adorned with the occasional motorcycle or quidditch poster. A plush red couch sat near the fireplace, a red felt pool table in the far corner where a big set of windows looked out over the dark lake. In the opposite corner was a bookshelf and a set of big squashy red chairs, perfect for reading in. Just a bit beyond was the heavy wooden door that led into Sirius's already messy office and the steps down to the DADA classroom after that.

With further exploration, I discovered that the twins' room was pretty much the same basic color scheme as the living room, but someone had put up colorful cartoon posters on all the walls, a nice play rug on the floor; it was littered with a half ton of toys, some of which were clearly new. The twins' beds were covered with cheery magical animal quilts and soft red comforters and sheets; both beds were already messed up (probably from being jumped on repeatedly, and not just by the Noah and Judy).

Sirius's room was a bit sparser: a big bed (also mussed from apparent jumping) that was covered in a red comforter and sheet set. The strangely cavernous bathroom (which adjoined both bedrooms) had a huge stone tub and shower, both of which had more knobs and nozzles that I thought was possible or practical.

"This is really nice," Bill reported after our grand tour, letting Noah and Judy swing from his skinny arms, "Did the house-elves unpack for you? They unpacked our stuff in the dorms."

"They helped," Sirius chuckled, getting a bath started for the twins, "But mostly by keeping Noah and Judy entertained while I got everything straightened."

"Ivy! Ivy!" Judy piped up, "We saw a _ghost_! His name is Sir Nicholas! He said he's gonna watch us while you and Sirius are at school!"

I looked to Sirius for an explanation.

"Sir Nick is the Gryffindor ghost," he said with a smile, "He and the other ghosts have agreed to keep an eye on the twins when neither of us can. And the house-elves and other professors are all going to pitch in, too. Even Dumbledore. He actually said that the twins could come play in his office during class tomorrow. Cool, huh?"

Nodding, I replied, "That's very nice of him. Are you sure he's not too busy? I don't want to be a bother."

"He insisted, kiddo," Sirius laughed, shedding his robes and rolling up his shirt sleeves, turning on a few more taps. The bath started filling with fat red bubbles, the strong, sweet smell of cherries quickly permeating the room. "We'll talk more after the twins are in bed," he said, grabbing Noah away from Bill and tickling the little boy until he could hardly breathe from all the giggling.

xxXxx

After their bath, the twins crashed into a post-sugar coma and got tucked in securely. Sirius, Bill, and I retired to the living room and enjoyed a late-night snack of chocolate ice cream near the fire. Sirius had some things he needed to talk to us about.

"So, first of all," he said, nodding towards the fireplace, "I got the hearth connected to the floo network, but it'll only link to the Gryffindor common room and to our house, so no one from outside can get in here. All the floos except a few have been closed off against Death Eaters. You can use the fireplace in the common room to come visit at night so that you're not wandering around after curfew. Filch is kind of a bear, but I talked to him, and he might cut you a little slack if the time ever comes."

"Ok," I agreed.

Sirius tugged a few items out of his pocket and laid them on the soft but unidentified animal skin on which we were sitting, pointing to each item as he explained, "Here's a bit of floo powder for you to hang onto. And these are the two-way mirrors James and Remus and I used to use when we were in school and stuck in different classes or different detentions. I figure you and Bill can each have one, and that way you'll always be able to call me or each other if you need anything. I got these portkey necklaces from the Order. You're not really supposed to have them, so don't show them to anybody. They're only for use in extreme emergencies, and they'll take you and anyone touching you straight home. I don't expect you to need them, but I feel better knowing you have them. And I'm working on getting some for the twins, too, if they can be convinced that they're not toys."

Bill and I both nodded somberly as we took our mirrors, as we each hung a small, round red pendant on a gold chain around our necks.

"Well," Sirius went on with a smirk, "That's pretty much all the grownup stuff out of the way. I got the schedule fixed so that you'll have my lesson first tomorrow, and I told Hagrid to expect you after classes are through for the day. Um... let's see, what else..." He paused briefly before adding, "Oh ya. I want to hear all about your train ride..."

xxXxx

Bill and I stayed in Sirius's quarters a bit later than we probably should have, considering we needed to be up for school the next day. By the time we flooed back to the Tower, we were both exhausted.

"G'night, Ivy," Bill yawned, bleary-eyed but smiling as he leaned in to hug me at the bottom of the split staircases, "I'll meet you down here in the morning for breakfast."

"K," I murmured, just as tired, "Night, Billy."

I wandered upstairs and into my room, creeping carefully because all my roommates were sound asleep. I'd requested the bed directly to the left of the door precisely for that reason; I was able to go the bathroom and get cleaned up and changed without disturbing anyone.

Once actually in bed, in the dark, listening to the steady breathing of the four girls around me... I don't know. I felt different than I thought I would. Not really scared at all. Excited but nervous. Eager. _Happy_.

I don't often find occasion to fall asleep happy, but, when I do, the dreams are always sweet.

xxXxx

True to his word, Billy was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs when I came down into the common room in the morning. He was practically twitching with anticipation.

"Looks like your boyfriend's been in your candy stash," one of my roommates, Freya Wolf, laughed. She was a bitter, sarcastic, somewhat combatant girl; I'm fairly sure I only won her over as a friend so quickly because Sirius had stuffed my trunk halfway to bursting with candy (as well as new books and a truly touching, well-treasured letter about how much pride and love he had for me), and, upon finding the surprise, I had happily shared the sweets with all my new roommates.

"Bill is _not_ my boyfriend," I insisted, for the third time that morning. Freya and Hannah both had in their heads that Bill and I were an item, and no amount of protest managed to convince them otherwise.

Flicking bright purple bangs out of her dark eyes, Freya jokingly sighed, "Ah, young love."

"Quit it," I hissed, blushing badly enough for Bill to notice when I finally reached his side.

"Your face is all red!" the boy observed, concerned. He reached out and pressed a cool hand against my forehead, asking, "You're not feeling sick, are you? You don't have a fever? Mum sent me with a first aid kit, and Dad put some muggle stuff in there in case you needed to use it since magic medicine doesn't really work that well on you."

"I'm fine," I told him, trying to laugh it off, glaring daggers at Freya when she ducked behind Bill's back and started making kissy faces at me. "Ready for breakfast?" I beamed, tugging Bill away from the obviously insane girl with whom I was expected to share a room for pretty much the next seven years of my life.

"Totally!" Billy gushed, almost bouncing as he walked, "I've been awake for _hours_. Well, maybe two, but I woke up early and then couldn't fall back asleep, so I just got up and got ready and hung out in the common room with Kat. She's nice. And her family breeds _dogs_! Isn't that hilarious? Cuz her name's Kat, you know?"

Snickering, I adjusted the strap of my very heavy book bag and did my best to keep my crookedly hemmed skirt straight as I walked. "It is pretty funny," I agreed, still kind of vaguely surprised by how not freaked out I was feeling, even with all the chaos of my new surroundings, "Did you talk to anyone else this morning?"

"Um, I saw Arista," Bill declared, shrugging, "I said hi but she didn't say anything. She left the Tower pretty early, earlier than Kat was up. And I talked to a fifth year named Marcy. She's one of our chasers. She was leaving to go train before classes. She said she always does and that it would be ok if we wanted to come along some time. We just have to let her know the night before so she can get us some school brooms to use."

"That's very nice of her," I replied, looking around as we walked, continually stunned by the impressive stone staircases and soaring ceilings, all the moving portraits and suits of armor.

Going to Hogwarts was like falling through into Wonderland.

Nodding, Bill went on, "Ya, I thought so, too. Pretty much everybody's been really nice so far, right? Did you bring your owl egg with you? We can probably just go straight to Hagrid's after classes are through. We'll have some time before dinner starts."

"I brought it," I replied, patting my stuffed satchel, "I almost didn't have room. Our books are heavy."

Suddenly concerned, Bill offered, "I can take some for you, if you want. Or I can take the whole bag. I don't mind. Mine isn't too heavy. Plus, I'm pretty strong from quidditch and wrestling with Charlie." He paused to proudly flex a wiry bicep, flashing a haughty grin.

I giggled brightly. "I know you're strong," I told my friend, "But you don't have to carry my books. I'll be fine. Really."

"I don't mind," Bill beamed, "Besides, I don't want you getting tired too early. Then we won't be able to go to Hagrid's or explore the castle or talk to more people or do anything fun like that."

"I'll let you know if I'm getting tired," I said, touched, "And thanks. It's very sweet of you to offer."

Bill blushed a bit, smiling like loon. And, for once, he didn't say anything.

That alone should have told me more than it did.

xxXxx

At breakfast, we sat with two of Bill's roommates, Tracy Haas and Connie Kerry. They were very nice, very funny boys, though their manners did need a bit of work (I don't think I'd ever seen so much half-chewed sausage in my life). Afterwards, we all walked together to Sirius's class. Bill and I took seats in the front while Tracy and Connie, in an effort to avoid being called on, went to the back of the group of mixed Gryffindors and Slytherins.

Of course, their efforts were proven useless shortly later when my smiling guardian arrived on the scene.

"Good morning, first-years!" Sirius beamed, taking his place at the head of the class and surveying us all with a fond, friendly air. "If you could all do me a favor to start off with," he said, "Get up and follow me." He then wandered back toward the door and waited for us all to scurry after.

There were general murmurs of assent and wonderment as everyone got up and gathered their things and did as they were asked. Bill and I stuck close to Sirius's side, a bit confused; whatever Sirius was up to, he hadn't told us about it.

Walking backward as he guided us through the deserted halls, Sirius brightly joked, "This may seem a little strange to you, but I remember from my years at Hogwarts that nobody particularly wants to be taught anything on the first day of term, ya? So rather than have you already distracted and cursing my name, I thought we'd just use this period to do something fun and get to know each other a little."

Soon we were outside on the lawn, standing in the grass in a lopsided circle (and pretty much divided along house lines). Sirius stood at my side, shooting me a bright wink. "Alright now," he chirped happily, "That's much better. Beautiful day out. Shame to waste it. My name is Sirius. Professor Black, I guess, but I don't mind if you guys want to call me Sirius. This is going to be my first year teaching at Hogwarts, so we're all kind of in this together. Hopefully we're going to have a lot of fun and you'll learn a lot, too. Defense Against the Dark Arts is an important subject, especially with all that's going on in the outside world. I've designed this class around my personal desire to not see any of you hurt. I want you to gain the knowledge and confidence to be able to stand up to darkness in whatever forms of it you might be faced with."

I beamed proudly at my guardian. It was a good speech.

"So anyways," Sirius went on, "We're going to be working a lot with groups and partners. Some days I'll let you choose your own, others I'll probably assign people together based on individual strengths and such. Either way, I want everybody to know everybody and to be comfortable, friendly, helpful, the whole nine. With that in mind, who likes chocolate?"

Eager hands shot into the air, even from the thus far fairly solemn Slytherins.

Chuckling, Sirius declared, "Excellent." He flicked his wand, and a black bag appeared, floating out in front of me as my guardian explained, "Everybody reach in and pull out one piece, but don't eat them just yet."

I went first. My chocolate was round with pink foil. Bill went next. His chocolate was square with yellow foil. And so it went, all around the circle until every student had a wrapped chocolate. There were more excited whispers.

"So," Sirius announced, "We'll be getting into five groups of four. Find the other people who picked the same color chocolate as you did, and that'll your group."

Bill and I exchanged a slightly disappointed glance. "Don't worry, Ivy," my friend soothed, "You'll be fine."

Ok, so maybe my glance had a bit of fear in it.

Sirius gave me a comforting pat on the shoulder, nodding me toward the round-with-pink-foil group. I didn't go right away, instead watching as Bill joined my roommate Freya and two other pretty Slytherin girls, one brunette and one blonde. Bill almost immediately began chattering, almost immediately made them all giggle happily and huddle closer to him as they sat down in the grass.

There was a hot, clenching sensation in my stomach and around my heart as I glared at the back of my friend's head, at all those stupid other girls...

My group had congregated only a few feet away. I was with another one of my roommates, Arista Ness, and two other Slytherin boys. I plopped down into the grass and began sullenly yanking up blades.

"OK!" Sirius shouted with a wide grin, clapping his hands together brightly, "Talk amongst yourselves! I'll just be popping my head in on you all from time to time. Oh, and feel free to eat those chocolates now. They've served their purpose." I figured he'd sit down with my group first for sure. But he didn't. He went and sat with Kat and Tracy and two other Slytherins.

I spared a glare for the back of Sirius's head, too.

"Hi," the Slytherin sitting across from me greeted, bringing me back into my immediate surroundings. The brunette offered a slimy smirk as well as his strangely dainty hand. "I don't think we've been properly introduced," he said, "I'm Rigel Emmett. You're the Nenmoi girl, right?"

"My name is Ivy _Sennen_," I insisted, frowning at the skinny boy, his cruel gray eyes and arrogantly raised chin.

We all sat in silence for a few long moments, all distinctly uncomfortable.

"I am Nikolai Ivanov," the other boy stated quietly at my left, hugging his thick knees to his chest, momentarily meeting my eyes before glancing back down at his large feet. He added, "Is nice to meet you, Ivy."

Nikolai was the tallest person in our whole year. Also the prettiest, if we're being honest. I don't think I'd ever seen a boy who was so pretty, who had such thick eyelashes or such shapely lips or such finely sculpted features or such silky, shimmery black hair. Even his one obvious imperfection--a slightly crooked nose--only seemed to add to his unusual beauty.

"It's nice to meet you, too," I said, smiling kindly. I glanced at Arista, waiting for her to introduce herself as well.

She just stared back me, gaze somber and unflinching.

"Ignore her," Rigel piped up, giving another slimy smirk, "We already know Arista through our families. She's a freak."

I bristled, coldly demanding, "Why would you say that?"

"She barely talks at all," Rigel continued, going on like the girl he was discussing wasn't seated right next to him, "I used to think she was a mute, but she's really just stupid."

"She is not stupid," I fired back, getting more and more pissed off by the second, "There's nothing wrong with not talking. Especially to you. You're mean and rude. I don't want to talk to you anymore either."

I was vaguely aware of Nikolai gaping a bit, cowering slightly behind his bent knees, glancing warily back and forth between Rigel and me as we stared each other down.

Rigel was practically steaming, his pale face getting pinched and red. "You're awfully uppity for a blood traitor," he hissed, eyes narrowed dangerously, "You should be careful, before your big mouth gets you into trouble."

"It wouldn't be the first time," I answered, truthfully no stranger to schoolyard fights. Normal social interaction may have been a stretch for me, but bullies were no problem to deal with. You might even say I was something of an expert on the subject.

"That's a Gryffindor for you," Rigel taunted, "All balls and no brains. Tell me, _Sennen_, was the retard who cut your hair blind or just missing an arm?"

"That's no way to talk about your mother, _Emmett_," I snapped smugly.

His mouth fell open in utter shock, which quickly turned to rage. "You _bitch_!" Rigel hissed, "Do you have any idea who you're insulting?"

"All balls, no brains, remember?" I fired back, "I don't care who you are. When you're around me, you'll be civil or you'll keep _your_ big mouth shut!"

Seconds later, when Sirius came over to join our group, he arrived to the sight of Rigel and me locked in a silent but heated glare. My guardian seemed instantly concerned, confused but stubbornly upbeat. "What's this, kiddo?" he asked, taking a seat between Arista and me, "Making friends?"

"Totally," I responded, unable to force the anger out of my expression or voice, "We're gonna braid each other's hair later."

Rigel's dark eyes narrowed even further, looking more squinty and near-sighted than hateful.

Nodding warily, Sirius suggested, "Well, alright then. I know you guys have probably all introduced yourselves to each other, but how about everybody introduces themselves to me?"

xxXxx

The rest of Sirius's class went reasonably well. Rigel fumed and glared. Arista stared off into space. I talked with Nikolai, who was very polite and occasionally, unexpectedly funny. The tall Russian was very soft-spoken, but I suspected that was mainly because he didn't have much confidence in his English. He had remarked that his two half-sisters, Tatiana and Yelena, spoke the language much better than he did.

After Sirius was through schmoozing with all the students, he stood up and explained some more about our curriculum; we would be starting off with a unit about magical objects, both dark ones (mostly how to identify and avoid them) and ones used in defense of dark ones. Sirius then had us play a game sort of like Jeopardy, where groups had to work together to answer some very basic questions about DADA. Even with only Nikolai and me participating, our group won. We were promised a surprise during the next class meeting.

When the period was over, Bill turned up at my side, running his mouth off, of course. We both hung back to talk to Sirius for a bit, since we had a fifteen-minute break before we had to get Charms.

"So?" Sirius asked as we followed him back toward his classroom, "What do you guys think? Am I professor material?"

"My group really liked you!" Bill announced happily, "Even Priscilla and Juliana! They kept saying that you were handsome."

"Good to know I still got it," Sirius laughed, ruffling my hair as he prompted, "What about you, kiddo? What's the verdict?"

"You were great," I added softly, smiling, struggling with my bulky book bag.

"Emmett wasn't giving you any problems, was he?" Sirius inquired in a purposefully restrained whisper.

I shook my head, chirping, "He's just rude. Nothing I couldn't handle."

With a bright, proud laugh, my guardian replied, "Well, that's good. I forget sometimes what a little firecracker you are... you'll let me know though, if he bothers you?"

Shrugging, I said, "I guess."

Sirius eventually shooed us along to Charms, a neat, stuffy room on the third floor that looked out over the school's front drive. Bill and I arrived with only a few minutes to spare and, unfortunately, found that there were no more seats left together.

I was starting to think I'd never get to sit with Bill.

Grudgingly, we split up, my friend offering yet another brave encouragement as he went to join Terence Aaronson, a tall, rather quirky Hufflepuff boy we'd met on the train.

I sat beside the window, beside Arista, smiling shyly when she nodded to acknowledge my presence. I took out my book, a fresh piece of parchment, and a quill.

"Thanks," the girl beside me murmured, so softly I almost didn't hear it over the low buzz of conversation from the rest of the room.

"Huh?" I asked. I leaned in closer when she looked like she was actually going to answer.

"Thanks," she said again. She held herself very rigidly as she turned and looked me in the eye. The somber black girl with the delicate bone-structure and buzzed hair didn't smile, but she did very quietly add, "For earlier. You didn't have to." Her accent was British but with a little of something else mixed in, maybe French but I wasn't sure.

My mind took a few moments to catch up. Then it clicked. "Oh," I said, "That thing with Rigel? Don't mention it. There was no reason for him to be so nasty to you."

Again, Arista nodded. She turned away and stared out the window.

Professor Flitwick arrived. Sirius had told me that he was short and ancient, but I wasn't prepared for just _how_ short and ancient. I had never been taller than an adult before. It was a really weird feeling.

His class was substantially less exciting than Sirius's, but Flitwick was... I dunno, sweet. His high, squeaky voice was grating, but the man himself seemed knowledgeable and kind, standing on a stack of books to see over his desk. He got very excited and nearly toppled off the stack several times as he was telling us the list of charms we would be learning that year.

"Miss Sennen!" the tiny man squeaked, startling me out of hurriedly writing down said list.

"Uh, yes, sir?" I squeaked in reply, feeling my face turning red as people turned to look at me. _Oh, God,_ I thought, _What now?_

Looking giddy and elated, the man declared, "Professor Black tells me that you are quite proficient with summoning and levitation charms. Would you please come to the front and provide a demonstration for the class?"

A rather bitchy voice inside my head chimed, _I'd rather slam my hand in a door_.

"Yes, sir," I said instead, feeling dangerously close to puking as I trudged forward.

I very wisely chose not to glance out at the rest of the students, focusing instead on Bill's quick thumbs-up and then on the feather Flitwick had placed on the other side of the room. Clearing my throat, I took out my slightly twisted, purply brown wand and executed a quick and easy, "_Accio_." The feather came to me in an instant, floating down onto the professor's desk. I then attempted the levitation charm, performing the required swish and flick in conjunction with a carefully pronounced, "_Wingardium leviosa_."

The feather rose up into the air. I managed to hold it there for a few moments before it started to wobble and spin; I hadn't quite figured out how to stop that from happening, and Sirius had no clue either.

"Oh, splendid!" Flitwick beamed, clapping his little hands as the feather flopped back down, "Just splendid, Miss Sennen! We will, of course have to work on stabilizing the effects, but quite impressive for your first day! Twenty points to Gryffindor!"

"Yeah, Ivy!" someone, I suspect Freya shouted, instigating a round of thunderous applause that followed me all the way back to my seat.

I just tried to keep my head down after that.

xxXxx

By lunch, my face was mostly back to a normal color. All the Gryffindor first-years walked to the Great Hall together and sat in a small bunch at the far end of the table. I kept getting congratulated and clapped heartily on the back, which was freaking me out, especially when word somehow made it to the older years and they started participating as well; apparently, I'd earned the most points for a single student so far that day and had helped put us in an early lead for the House Cup.

Bill stuck by my side, which was great because I don't know that I could've tolerated the attention otherwise. My friend's natural and effortless sociability was a good distraction.

After lunch was Herbology, a two-and-a-half-hour block that we shared with Ravenclaw. Again, the Gryffindors walked together, curly-haired Noel Dwyer complaining at great length about how he wished we shared a harder class with them so that he would be more easily able to mooch off his brainy twin Leon. Kat O'Keefe, a bubbly brunette, helpfully pointed out that we would also be having Potions with the Ravenclaws and that that was supposed to be the hardest class out of them all.

The humid, earthy interior of Greenhouse 1 made me think of the smothering wilderness I left behind in Paradise, of losing my father and then my mother and then my uncle J. It made me think of Aunt Bernadette and her cane and how she was dead now, too, rotting in the ground.

Bill slipped his hand into mine, pulling me out of the bitter memory and toward an open workbench. "Are you ok?" he asked, taking my bag off my shoulder and setting it down carefully to claim the spot, "You were shivering."

"I'm fine," I answered. Forcing a smile, shaking my head, I hopped up onto the nearest stool and declared, "Just distracted. Do you think we'll get to start working with the plants today? I mean, since it's a double period."

With a bright, happy grin, Bill jumped onto his own stool and replied, "I sure hope so! Dad said they don't let us do anything dangerous first year, but magical plants are still pretty fun! Mum used to have a flutterby bush that she let me help prune, but that was before the twins pulled it up. They wanted it as a pet but didn't understand that plants can't usually survive for long out of the ground."

I laughed, commenting, "That sounds like something they'd do... remind me never to give them a goldfish." I got out my book and quill and a new piece of parchment.

The Ravenclaw students trickled in gradually, not seeming to have formed the herd we Gryffindors had (although, we were lions, so I guess the more fitting term would be "pride"). Leon said hi to us when he arrived, automatically going for the seat beside his brother. Claudia Taggart, a sporty blonde we'd also talked to on the train, took the cluttered station next to ours and cheerfully introduced the girl she'd walked in and sat down with, Louise Murdock. Louise had stringy brown hair and wore big square glasses and didn't seem to realize that she'd dripped some of her lunch onto the front of her shirt. Whatever the stain was, it stood out beige and greasy from the crisp uniform white.

Without drawing any attention (or so I thought), I quickly removed the food smudge with a muttered cleaning charm. That one I'd mastered quite thoroughly, as it had come in handy again and again when dealing with the little messes that followed my brother and sister.

Louise didn't seem to notice, talking animatedly with Bill and Claudia; Louise talked with her hands and kept almost knocking things off the workbench, which kept the other two occupied and similarly oblivious.

I sighed, happily stowing my wand.

When I looked up, a black-haired girl was glaring at me from the other side of the greenhouse. She was a rather sour-looking Ravenclaw with beady dark eyes and a thick-set neck and jaw. I thought her name might've been Bettina... ya, that was it. Bettina Frank. Of course, other than that detail, I didn't know anything about the girl, and certainly I didn't know anything that would be causing her to glare at me in such a fashion...

"Good afternoon, first-years," Professor Sprout greeted as she bustled into the room, "Everyone! Everyone, please be seated! We have a lot of ground to cover today, if you'll excuse the pun!" She chuckled warmly at her own joke. Her hair was a riot of frizzy gray erupting from beneath her old patched hat, but the woman's round, chubby face still seemed very young behind its thin layer of accumulated dirt. I had read that magic made wizards age differently than normal people, so Sprout could've been anywhere from forty to eighty.

She was a bit gruff but still very caring, a no-nonsense kind of teacher who seemed partial to hands-on lessons rather than lectures. She spent the first hour mainly explaining the safety guidelines at great length. When that was through, she announced that during the first two weeks we would all be expected to take care of an assortment of mundane (as in non-magical) plants in order to demonstrate proper use of the basic gardening tools as well as proper potting and pruning technique. It was mostly an exercise in following instructions, a way to weed out (God, so many gardening puns) the students with the attention disorders and black thumbs.

We were allowed to pick our own partners; of course, Bill and I teamed up. Each group was given three different kinds of plants to identify (out of ten possible choices). Once they were identified, we were to look up what potting medium and conditions and level of care they required and to act accordingly.

"Oh," I said, pointing immediately to one of the small plants that had just appeared at our station, "I know this one. It's aconite."

"Very good, Miss Sennen," Professor Sprout answered from directly behind me.

I hadn't heard her approach and nearly fell off my stool... Weren't Slytherins supposed to be the sneaky ones?

The squat woman smiled genially, asking loudly, "Would you please explain to the class how you identified your aconite?"

Once again, I could feel my face getting red as people turned to look at me. "Um," I muttered, "The, um, distinctive, spiky shape of the dark green leaves. And the small purple flower, right there. It looks sort of like a monk's hood, which is why the plant is also sometimes called monkshood."

"By what _other_ name is the plant sometimes called?" Sprout prompted brightly, seeming very pleased.

"Wolfsbane," I answered. My face was going to catch fire, I just knew it. "It's extremely poisonous if ingested by humans. Those infected with lycanthropy are also known to have skin reactions to physical contact with the plant. Researchers are trying to work it into a potion to help werewolves remain in control during full moons."

I made a mental note to thank Remus. Like, a lot. Like, with chocolate.

"Well done!" Professor Sprout crowed, "Twenty points, Miss Sennen, for coming to class so very thoroughly prepared!"

Freya gave a loud wolf whistle but was silenced by one pointed look from our instructor.

I was just thankful that there wasn't more applause.

"Alright then," Sprout went on, "Get to work, all of you! I'll be stopping by each group if you have questions."

My fellow students seemed to lose interest in me as they went back to their own projects. Only Bill was still staring, grinning smugly. "We're going to win the House Cup for sure!" he claimed, "Forty points in one day! On the _first_ day! That's got to be a record!"

"Maybe," I said with a shrug, letting my hair fall to hide my blush as I buried my nose in the textbook, "What do you think the other two are?"

Bill dove quickly into his own book and, just moments later, reported, "This one might be dittany. It's got the same leaves as the picture and-" he leaned in and sniffed the plant, "Ya, it smells lemony. The book says dittany secretes 'a lemony-smelling oil that's very flammable.' That's why it's sometimes called 'the burning bush.' So I guess no open flames around it."

"Cool," I said, distractedly leaning in for my own whiff of the sprays of pinkish-white flowers. They did, indeed, smell lemony. "That just leaves one more."

"_Leaves_ one more?" Bill answered with a teasing smile.

Despite still being horribly embarrassed (and the fact that it was yet another horrible gardening pun), I couldn't help a small giggle.

We searched through our books for a bit longer before both deciding that the last plant was ginger. Bill cited its long, narrow leaves and tall, reed-like stalk; I cited its clustered pink flowerbuds and, after brushing away a bit of dirt, its thick, tuberous roots.

Labeling and repotting our plants in appropriate soils was simple and painless. Then it was just a matter of watering and fertilizing them, placing them in the sun, and trying not to catch them on fire. We finished first, and I was surprised to glance around and see that some of our classmates were having trouble with the assignment. The Dwyer brothers were arguing heatedly over whether their plant was belladonna or asphodel (which looked absolutely nothing alike). Hannah and Freya's sneezewort had given both girls violent sneezing fits that threatened to demolish all three of their plants. A pair of Ravenclaw boys at the other end of the row had already managed to drop their lovage, getting dirt all over a very squeamish and consequently irate housemate's new shoes.

It wasn't quite chaos, but it was heading there.

"Excellent," Professor Sprout chimed calmly when she finally made it to our station, "Correct identifications and care. Five points. You two can run along if you like."

"Thanks, Professor!" Billy beamed, gathering his things in an instant and then waiting patiently while I did the same. Soon, we were out and headed toward Hagrid's hut. It was still early in the afternoon, fifteen minutes shy of three-thirty and the proper end to the period. I hoped that Hagrid would be home.

He wasn't but arrived just as we did, tromping out of the Forbidden Forest with a crossbow slung lazily over his shoulder and a burly gray hound at his heels. The man was massive, his head and most of his face covered in coarse black hair that went nearly halfway down both his chest and back. He smiled when he saw us, waving brightly. "ello," Hagrid greeted, "Yeh mus' be Bill an' Ivy. Y'ave some owl eggs yeh need 'elp with?"

"Yes, sir," Bill piped up, looking longingly toward the forest.

Reading my friend's mind, I elbowed him in warning; there was no way in hell I was following him into those woods just for the hell of it.

"Jus' 'agrid's jus' fine," the groundskeeper laughed in reply. As he came closer, I realized just how big he was and decided that if Hagrid was only half giant, then I didn't particularly care to run into a whole one. The man dwarfed us in both height and bulk, and if it hadn't been for his obviously sweet and friendly disposition, I think I would've felt quite intimidated.

"C'mon in," Hagrid instructed, propping the crossbow against the front of his cabin before holding open the door. The hound rushed in first, going straight for what I soon saw was a basket in the near left corner. The whole cabin was just one large room that, I suspect, would've seemed a lot larger if all the furniture hadn't been so oversized to accommodate its owner. There was a wooden dresser beside the dog's basket, a huge bed pushed into the corner beside the dresser and covered with a thick patchwork quilt. The wall across from us had a door that, I could see through the nearby window, led out into a pumpkin patch. The opposite right corner was taken up by a stone fireplace where a huge cauldron and copper kettle hung ready for use. There were cupboards along the right-hand wall and a scrubbed wood table in the center of the room. Several dead game fowl and hunks of meat hung from the rafters.

I didn't see a bathroom though and tried not to think too much into the conspicuous absence.

"'ave a seat," Hagrid prompted before bustling over to the fireplace and putting on the kettle. "Tea?" he asked.

Nodding happily, Bill declared, "I'd love some, but Ivy doesn't drink tea."

Hagrid seemed shocked, vaguely appalled; I'd been getting that reaction pretty much every time someone discovered my growing hatred for the beverage.

"Not at all?" the half-giant gaped.

I shook my head. "It tastes like old lawn-cuttings," I insisted firmly.

Chuckling, Hagrid muttered, "Americans."

I sulked a bit, arguing, "Brits."

"Would yeh like somethin' else?" Hagrid questioned in way of a peace offering.

"No, thanks," I replied, smiling weakly to show that I wasn't really offended (too much), "Dinner is in a few hours. I think I can hang on until then."

"Alright," the man answered, coming back to the table and sitting across from us, "Le's see the lil' beauties."

Bill and I produced the boxes that held our owl eggs, presenting them for inspection.

Hagrid gave them a thorough once-over, black eyes excited and huge hands surprisingly gentle. He proclaimed both potential owls to be in good shape and nearly ready to hatch. "Bring 'em back down when they do," he instructed us kindly, "Tha's when the real fun starts!"

Getting his instructions didn't take very long, so while Bill and Hagrid were finishing their huge cups of tea, we got to talking about other subjects: how we were getting along with the other students, how our first day went, what we thought of Hogwarts so far. Bill kept not-so-subtly hinting that he'd like to have an adventure in the forest, which Hagrid not-so-subtly vetoed at every turn; apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought my friend's thirst for excitement was a mortal injury just waiting to happen.

Dinner was at five, and we left Hagrid's around four-fifteen. I called Sirius over our mirrors and asked where he and the twins were. My haggard guardian reported that the twins were still with Dumbledore, that a _duel_ had broken out at the end of the last DADA class (fifth-year Slytherins v. Ravenclaws) and that Sirius was still trying to get the more gravely injured students sorted out in the Hospital Wing. I wished him luck before he abruptly severed the connection with a shouted, "_OI! DON'T _TOUCH IT_, FERRIS! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!_"

"Do you want to go with me to get Noah and Judy?" I asked Bill as we neared the front steps of the castle.

He nodded excitedly, declaring, "I'll bet the headmaster has a great office! And I'll bet we'll be the first first-years to have seen it! And we didn't even have to get in trouble!"

From Sirius's descriptions, I knew that the headmaster's office was on the seventh floor, behind a stone gargoyle statue. We found the statue without much fuss but didn't know how to get in. I didn't want to bother Sirius when he was so obviously busy, but... I hadn't seen my brother and sister _all day_.

Sirius... wasn't doing too much better. In between yelling at a shrill girl named Doreen and jumping between a pair of boys who still seemed determined to tear each other to bits, he told me that the password was _everlasting gobstopper_ and that I should just go up because Dumbledore was expecting me.

And I did, Bill at my side as we rode the spiral staircase like an escalator. At the top, we were greeted by a polished oak door. It was so shiny that we could almost see ourselves in it. Bill took great pleasure in using the brass griffin knocker to announce our presence.

No one answered.

I pressed my ear to the door and heard soft crying and immediately barged in.

The large circular room looked like a warzone. Several spindly legged tables were overturned, their contents strewn across the floor. Also overturned was a golden bird perch. I had to step over it and a distressing amount of red and gold feathers as I moved further inside; whatever creature the perch was meant for was ominously absent.

Some of the curtains were open on the wide windows; the rest of the curtains had been torn down and thrown over what seemed to be a desk and a very high-backed chair in order to make a rather impressive fort. The fort had a small half-moon wall built all the way around it with books that had been stacked like bricks.

And in the middle of all this mayhem were Noah, Judy, and Professor Dumbledore.

Professor Dumbledore seemed to be unconscious, seemed to have... pink ribbons tied in sloppy bows all throughout his long white hair and beard... ok, not _seemed_; he really did have pink ribbons in his hair and beard...

Noah was the one crying, blubbering on the floor beside the sprawled old man. My baby brother... my baby brother had his hands tangled in Dumbledore's beard, his wrists trapped as thoroughly as if they'd been cuffed or tied with rope. He wasn't struggling though, not even a little; knowing him, I instantly knew that was because he didn't want to hurt the man.

Judy, as usual, was in a more troubling state: standing over the scene with a long silver penknife clutched in one grubby fist.

"What are you doing?!" I shrieked, rushing to grab my sister and separate her from the sharp instrument and the old man she appeared to be ready to use it on.

The tiny, deceivingly angelic blonde scowled at me, squirming to be put down as she shouted, "Noah's stuck! I'm helping!"

"Ivy!" my brother sobbed, "Albie's beawd gotted me!" He looked so damn pitiful, as he always did when he cried..

Quickly handing Judy off, I knelt beside Noah, kissing his messy brown hair and comforting him as best as I could. "Just hold still, ok?" I soothed, gently attempting to free the poor boy, "You're alright. I'll get you out."

And I did, after just a few short minutes of picking through knots and snarled ribbons.

When he was free, Noah threw himself into my arms, clinging and crying and pretty much inconsolable.

"Is the headmaster dead?" Bill finally asked, his green eyes huge and terrified as he dangled Judy out at arm's length, like he suspected that the answer might be yes and that he was holding the she-beast responsible.

"No," I reported, rolling my eyes, "I think he's just asleep... should we wake him?"

"What is the meaning of this?!" someone cried from the doorway.

We all turned in time to see Professor McGonogall come rushing into the room. She fell down on her knees at Dumbledore's side, shaking him and calling, "Albus! Albus! Are you hurt?! What's happened!"

The old man roused fairly quickly, yawning and blinking at all of us as he sat up and then looked around the room. "Oh my," he murmured, giving me a rather bashful, guilty smile, "I seem to have dozed off and neglected my babysitting duties. I apologize, Miss Sennen. I'm not as young as I once was. I hope you won't think less of me." He looked like a vanilla ice cream cone covered in pink sprinkles.

"Uh," I gaped, "N-No. Of course not, sir... the twins are... they're a handful... sorry about your office and... and your hair..."

"My hair?" the old man asked, puzzled but not yet distressed.

Noah finally stopped crying, picking his head up off my shoulder and sniffling at his elderly playmate. "Youw beawd gotted me!" he accused sadly.

And that was when the ominously absent creature decided to come out of hiding. The huge, harassed-looking red and gold bird shot out of a crevice near the top of a very tall bookcase behind the fort, circled the room once with a quite chilling battle cry, and then angrily dive-bombed Bill.

Well, the beast was really going for Judy (can't imagine why...), but Bill shielded the girl with his body and took the furious pecking and scratching upon himself.

Instantly protective of both my sister and my best friend, I shoved Noah at McGonogall and rushed in to help them, flapping my arms and shouting, "Shoo! Go away! Bad turkey!"

The bird paid me no mind, clawing up my wrist in the process of trying to eat my shrieking sister.

"Fawkes," Dumbledore finally called, seemingly hours but only really seconds later, "That's quite enough."

The bird backed off instantly but was very clearly unhappy about being asked to do so, screeching once more in my ear before hurrying back to its out-of-the-way crevice. I couldn't see the thing any longer except for, I thought, a faint red glow from the otherwise dark nook. I could feel the creature watching me and was sure that it would now have a taste for my blood.

"Again, Miss Sennen, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore declared, climbing to his feet and straightening his robes, "I must humbly apologize. I don't know what's gotten into Fawkes this evening. He must be close to a Burning Day. He was looking rather... patchy."

Trying to stem my own bleeding and Bill's, I glared down at Judy, who smirked back maliciously.

"It's fine," I grunted, getting queasy when I saw that Bill's right ear was hanging by a thread, that he was covered in deep, oozing scratches from forehead to wrist to shoulder blade, "We'll just be going to the Hospital Wing now. Thanks for babysitting."

"You're welcome, Miss Sennen," Dumbledore answered warily, "I... yes. Your brother and sister are very... spirited. I look forward to spending the afternoon with them again some time. With less bloodshed, I hope."

I nodded curtly and grabbed Noah from a very uncomfortable-looking McGonogall, cradling my baby brother with my non-bloody arm while the poor traumatized boy wailed about the scary turkey hurting me and Albie's beard trying to eat him, after he was just trying to make it pretty, too! Judy got a light shove toward the door and a glare that spoke volumes.

Once we were safely past the stone gargoyle, Judy tried to make a run for it.

"Judith Harper Sennen!" I shouted at her, "Don't you even think of going anywhere! What did you do to that crazy bird?!"

She plodded along as we headed toward medical attention, maybe a little contrite as she stared at Bill's bloody face. "Albie told us a story before nap time about phoenixes," the little blonde explained, trying the cute eyes on me even though she could never pull them off, "He said that Fawkes was one and that he would never die cuz if he did he would just burn up and then get born again! He said that phoenixes' feathers are inside wands sometimes, and I wanted a wand so that I could do magic, too! But Albie said that I was too little! But I _wanted_ one! So I waited until everybody was in nap time, and then I tried to get a feather from Fawkes, but his pole thingie was too high up, so I knocked it down and then got some feathers, but they wouldn't do magic! Fawkes was being mean and hiding, so I yelled that he had to come down and let me have a _magic _feather, but he didn't cuz he's stupid!"

Bill barely lasted through the whole tale before busting out laughing, doubled over and holding his sides.

"Don't!" I scolded furiously, "It's not funny!" Turning back to my sister, I ordered, "You can't get what you want all the time, Judy! If someone tells you no, it means _no_, not that you should just find another way! What if that bird had attacked you before we got there?! You could've been killed!"

"But-"

I cut the girl off, insisting, "No! You listen to me! Other people aren't always going to be around to throw themselves between you and danger! You have to _think_! Look at Bill's face! Is that what you want to happen to you?! Or to Noah?!"

I should've noticed but I didn't; I was too mad: Judy's expression had been growing more and more pained as my tirade continued. As soon as I mentioned her twin being hurt, the girl burst into tears.

"Fuck," I swore softly, handing Noah off again and wrapping Judy up in my arms. I could feel myself starting to cry in response to her rare sobs, my eyes prickling and hot as I gushed, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please, don't cry. I'll never let either of you actually get hurt. I swear. I was only trying to scare you, and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. I'm the worst sister ever. Please, don't cry." I forgot sometimes that she wasn't even a year old, that she might've been a freaky (and somewhat evil) genius, but she sometimes still needed to be protected and coddled and treated like she didn't know any better.

Judy sniffled and calmed down rather quickly, pouting tiredly into my neck. "You're the bestest sister," she murmured, hugging me back just as hard as I was hugging her.

Not knowing what to say, I said nothing but hoisted my sister off the floor and, with barely a glance at my stunned friend, headed toward the Hospital Wing.

xxXxx

The Hospital Wing was still crowded with victims of Sirius's fifth-year Rav-Slyth class, my godfather still chewing out the pair of teens apparently responsible for starting the brawl; one of the young duelists had an extra arm growing out of the side of his head; the other was vomiting slugs.

Of course, Sirius completely forgot about berating his two least favorite students when he caught sight of us in the doorway. "What the bloody hell happened to you?!" my guardian demanded urgently, rushing over and pushing us into one of the few open cots before hurriedly inspecting our injuries.

"Dumbledore isn't allowed to babysit," I declared pointedly, squeezing Judy like the slightly evil teddy bear she was, "Ever."

xxxxxxxxxx

An exciting first day *giggle* Reviews are love :)


	17. Part 17: Tough

Part 17 - Tough

My first day of classes at Hogwarts ended in the Hospital Wing, with Bill getting his ear reattached after having it nearly mauled off by a vicious phoenix. The incident was pretty much entirely Judy's fault; she'd been harassing Dumbledore's pet under the impression that getting a hold of some feathers would grant her the power to cast spells. It did not, which led to the question of where the pink ribbons in Dumbledore's hair and beard had come from...

Searching an answer to this mystery, the man showed up in the Hospital Wing a few hours after Bill and I had gone down there. Dumbledore seemed to have been successful in restoring his general person to its respectable pre-twin state; I wondered if he knew just how very close he came to losing that ridiculous beard (Judy having been about to lop the thing off when I walked in (or at least that's what she claimed and I hoped she was doing standing over him with a knife...)).

"Good evening, all," Dumbledore greeted quietly, surveying the calm room.

Most of the victims of the duel that had broken out during Sirius's fifth-year Rav-Slyth class had either been released or knocked out for further repair.

Bill and I were waiting for our various gashes to finish being dealt with. My friend's face and neck and back and arm were slathered in pale green salve. My clawed up wrist was not quite as severe, but, since I my body was generally resistant to being healed by magical medication, the same salve was taking a lot longer to work on my injured limb.

Despite the fact that he'd been mauled a lot worse than I had, Bill was further along on the way to a full recovery, slightly loopy on pain potion and staring at the ceiling in delighted wonder. Judy was playing with a roll of gauze on the floor, and Noah was asleep tucked beneath my uninjured right arm, having exhausted himself with hysterical talk of mean phoenixes and giant beards trying to eat him; the incident would evolve into a quite unusual set of phobias surrounding large birds and excessive facial hair.

I was, understandably, a little peeved with the headmaster.

"Albus," Sirius muttered, haggard and wrecked after a long, stressful day, "Glad to see _you're_ none the worse for wear."

The old man nodded, still a bit bashful as he explained, "I just wanted to make sure Mr. Weasley and Miss Sennen were being looked after. And to apologize once again for my own negligence and Fawkes's strange behavior."

I nudged Judy with my foot.

She heaved a great sigh, rather halfhearted sing-songing, "I'm sorry, Albie, for making your bird mad. I took his feathers cuz I wanted to do magic, but if you'd just let me have a wand-"

"Judy," I scolded firmly, "It's supposed to be an apology, not an excuse."

Frowning, the girl huffed, "_Fine_. I'm sorry. It won't never happen again."

"Won't _ever_," I corrected, because I didn't quite trust her not to being playing dumb.

Whether I was right about her purposeful misuse of the double negative or whether she just didn't like being corrected, Judy only answered with a heated scowl.

"That does explain some things," Dumbledore muttered, "Ah, well. Apology accepted. I'm sure you've learned your lesson, and Fawkes will recover from his trauma."

"_His_ trauma?" Bill asked, still kind of goofy and sleepy from whatever Madam Mary had given him. On the plus side, his ear was looking less like something out of a horrific slasher movie.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, producing a handful of mangled pink ribbons from his pocket as way of a subject change. "I was wondering, Judy," the old man declared, "If you might tell me where you found these. I don't recall having ever come across pink ribbon inside my office before."

Judy shrugged, shifty-eyed and obviously lying as she insisted, "I don't remember."

"Just tell him, Judy," I prompted. My arm still hurt, and nothing was helping; the green salve just made it sting and ache even more, and I didn't want to deal with a lying sister on top of everything else.

Huffing again, the girl stubbornly repeated, "I don't remember!"

"I only ask," Dumbledore interrupted, "Because they do not seem to be normal ribbons. They seem to have been enchanted. They were quite reluctant to release my hair."

"Judy, where did you get the ribbons?" I demanded. She was either stealing (which I could deal with) or someone had given them to her (which was what really worried me about the situation since our psycho relatives had been known to try to slip us dangerous cursed objects, like my music box).

"Nowhere!" she said peevishly, "I don't remember!"

My stomach started to growl, and I realized that we'd missed dinner. Staring sternly down at my sister, I did my best to remain calm and rational and announced, "You won't get in trouble if you just tell me now. Did someone give them to you?"

Judy made a face that was somewhere between a pout and a glare, finally muttering, "No."

"Did you find them in the headmaster's office?" I went on.

"No," Judy insisted.

God, she was infuriating sometimes. I took a deep, calming breath, not wanting to go off on her again. I'd already made the poor thing cry once that night and did not desire a repeat performance. No matter how obnoxious she was. "Judy," I sighed, "Please, just tell me."

She remained stubbornly silent.

"You're totally grounded," I proclaimed, "No sweets and no flying."

"That's not fair!" Judy screeched, "I didn't do anything!"

I glared at my sister, answering, "Tough."

xxXxx

We were out of the Hospital Wing in time for breakfast the next morning. Bill had been completely healed, but my arm was still slowly mending and wrapped in a clean bandage; I was supposed to go back during lunch to get it checked, but I wasn't sure it would be worth the effort. Madam Mary was just going to put on more of that stinging salve that was still making it feel like it was on fire. Besides, what was one more set of scars?

Bill absolutely refused to allow me to carry my own bag, citing my injury. Though I thought it was very sweet of him, I couldn't help being slightly annoyed by how easily he managed my overstuffed satchel as well as his own.

We had only just sat down at the Gryffindor table when we were rushed by the rest of our yearmates, all the boys and girls crowding around us hurriedly

"Are you two alright?" asked Kat O'Keefe, a rather sensitive, wide-eyed brunette with a soft spot for cuddly and injured beings.

Nodding, chubby, frizzy-haired Hannah Benjamin peered owlishly from behind her thick square glasses and piped up, "Marcy Turner told me that Patrick Ingram told her that Jasmine Bishop told him that Alex Ferris told her that you were hurt fighting the headmaster's phoenix!" The string of names, while difficult to follow, didn't really surprise me. Hannah was very sociable. She might've even been considered nosy and gossipy, although not really in any malicious sort of way; the bespectacled Irish girl just had a natural and insatiable curiosity about what was going on in the lives of the people around her. Even after only one day at the school, she was already firmly tapped into the social pipeline.

Since he was the one who'd sat on my left side, Noel Dwyer noticed the wrap on my arm. He gave it a light poke, black mop of curls hanging in his bright blue eyes as the boy pried, "Why would you want to fight the phoenix? And what were you even doing in the headmaster's office? Did you two get in trouble on the first day? _I_ didn't even get in any trouble on the first day!" Since Noel had a tendency to pick fights and never, ever back down from them (unless his Ravenclaw twin, Leon, was there to physically drag him away) that was quite impressive for the boy.

"We weren't in trouble," Bill insisted, grasping my free hand underneath the table, "We went to get Ivy's brother and sister. Dumbledore was babysitting, but he fell asleep, and Judy was bothering the bird because she wanted its magic, and it got mad and came after her, so I saved her, and then Ivy saved me. But we're alright now. Madam Mary healed us. She was very nice."

The other first-year Gryffindors stared, seemingly trying to puzzle out how serious Bill was. And, perhaps more importantly, what to make of the pair of us.

"Um," I finally spoke up, uncomfortably reaching for a subject change and a piece of toast, "What classes do we have today?"

"Double Potions first," Tracy Haas supplied. The dark-haired boy shoveled an impossible amount of scrambled eggs into his mouth and didn't let struggling to chew it stop him from continuing, "Wif de Rav'nclaws."

Flicking bright purple bangs away from her dark eyes, Freya Wolf glared disgustedly across the table at the blonde boy and launched a grape at his forehead before complaining, "It's going to be _horrible_, but then we get to have Transfiguration after lunch. I heard that's one of the best classes." Freya was the most... um... _outspoken_ first year Gryffindor. She either had problems filtering her thoughts or just really didn't care not to say everything that popped into her mind, good or bad. However, she was still a great friend, crass but funny, combative but loyal. Unflinchingly honest: she was the one who would tell you what you didn't necessarily want to hear but needed to, and she never let anyone get away with anything they shouldn't.

"Professor McGonogall does seem interesting," Marco Garza commented. The handsome Mexican boy was absurdly intelligent but also extremely quiet, content to blend into the background even though he wasn't particularly shy and probably could've been winning us more House points than we knew what to do with. Talking to him later, I found out that his family was rather well off and that he'd had private tutoring since he was practically an infant in just about every subject imaginable. It was why he spoke perfect English (as well as French and Mandarin) and why he pretty much never needed to study to get top grades.

And it's not like he never spoke ever, not like Arista. She tagged along with the other girls sometimes, but getting her to participate in a conversation was almost impossible. Like that day at breakfast, she usually just hovered stoically on the fringes of any gathering, maybe listening or maybe not as she stared off into space. In fact, I was pretty much the only person who ever got more than a sentence out of her at a time.

"McGonogall's a babe," Connie Kerry insisted, reaching across Kat and managing to dip the sleeve of his robe into a dish of oatmeal in the process.

Kat prevented the ash-blonde from dripping all over her and himself, manhandling him back into his seat and cautioning, "Careful!"

Frowning at the mess, the eccentric muggle-born continued, "She came to my house to explain all this magic stuff to my parents! Cor, if I were thirty years older..."

"Das kin'a sick, mate," Tracy commented, his mouth still stuffed to bursting. And he'd somehow gotten toast crumbs in his dark hair...

"It is not," insisted Connie, "She's seriously hot! Bill, back me up."

Bill snorted into his own breakfast, chuckling, "She's, uh, not my type. But good luck." He shot me an amused sideways glance, squeezing my hand under the table.

I couldn't help giggling a little myself as I discretely spelled the oatmeal off Connie's sleeve. The ash-blonde muggleborn was a weird kid, always saying odd things like that.

"You're all just jealous! We're going to make beautiful tartan babies together!"

Or that...

xxXxx

As Freya predicted and Sirius had earlier warned, Potions was pretty horrible. I found the subject itself fascinating, but Professor Snape was a complete tool and had already decided to hate every last Gryffindor, me especially.

On Sirius's recommendation, I kept my head down and my mouth shut, listening attentively to a speech that I'm sure was supposed to be intimidating but that I found more ridiculous than anything else. I mean, I'm not easily intimidated, and I'm not really afraid of just being threatened. Snape was a jerk, but as far as my enemies list goes, he never managed to rank above a minor nuisance.

But everything is relative, and, to the rest of the first-year pride, Snape was the devil incarnate. He took points from Freya, Connie, and Noel, all for some form of backtalk or speaking out of turn. All three were guilty of doing exactly that but still seemed indignant over the punishments. Between their glaring at Snape and Snape's glaring at me (apparently he and Sirius were mortal foes), the two-and-a-half hour class dragged on and on.

When it finally did end, we were all too glad to get out of the dungeon, wandering back toward the Great Hall. We hadn't escaped without a half ton of homework, and between that and the class itself, just about everyone was bitching.

So I was almost relieved when Bill reminded me that I was supposed to go to the Hospital Wing to get my arm tended to. As much as I wasn't looking forward to more of the salve, being spared the complaint storm really was a blessing.

As usual, Bill chattered while we walked, a little bit about Snape but mostly just random things that popped into his mind, how good the food was and how cool the castle was and how much he liked all the people, prospective plans for the weekend. The sound of his voice was kind of soothing, and I lost myself in it as we wandered down the hallways.

Having my arm re-salved and re-wrapped was simple enough, not painless but bearable. When it was through, Madam Mary asked me to sit for a moment while a potion she wanted to try on me finished brewing. As we waited, Bill had me help him with a letter to his family. It was already quite long, pretty much a second-by-second recount of everything that had happened since the boy boarded the train, but he wanted to be sure that he didn't leave anything out.

Maybe ten minutes later, another person entered the otherwise deserted room. It was Nikolai Ivanov, a tall, very pretty Slytherin boy in our year. I'd talked with him in Sirius's class the day before, and, although the boy was soft spoken, he was also very nice.

"Hello," he greeted, smiling warmly as he loosened his green tie and came to sit on the cot across from the one on which Bill and I were huddled. "Your arm," the black-haired boy asked in his slightly broken English, "Is ok?"

"Ya, it's fine, thanks," I reported brightly, "Just some cuts. They're almost healed."

"Good," he answered. Offering his hand out to Bill, the boy stated, "I am Nikolai."

"Bill," Bill chirped brightly, pretty much always thrilled to meet someone new, "You were in the group with Ivy in Defense yesterday, right? You guys were great answering all of Professor Black's questions like that. So what're you here for anyways? You don't look hurt or sick."

Blinking and seemingly struggling to interpret my friend's rapid speech, the Russian slowly, carefully answered, "I have disease called diabetes. I take potion every veek for to control my blood sugar. Madam Mary, she vill brew it for me."

"Oh," Bill said, "That's interesting. I've never known anybody who had diabetes, but I've read about it before. Muggles who have it have to take shots all the time! With needles! Sometimes even a bunch of times every day! Is it rare for a wizard to have diabetes? Have you ever met anybody else with it?"

Nikolai thought about the question for a few moments, his face visibly brightening when he'd fully understood what was being asked. "My mother," he answered, "She had also. She vas vith group of researchers who made the potion ve take much more better."

With an impressed nod, Bill commented, "Wicked. So your mum's good at potions then? I bet that'll make Snape's class a lot easier. You can probably ask her all sorts of questions."

Sadly, Nikolai reported, "She died vhen I vas small."

Bill's face turned red as the boy muttered, "Sorry." From his somewhat shifty eyed glance at me, I assumed that he remembered that I had also lost a parent (technically two, but only one to death at that point). And he was probably trying to tell whether or not the insensitivity had angered me in some way.

But it really was an honest mistake. There was no way Bill could've known, and I wasn't about to fault him for his chatterbox ways. He was my best friend, after all, and I found his inability to stop talking rather adorable and endearing.

"Is ok," Nikolai proclaimed, offering a brave smile.

Madam Mary bustled back into the room, shoving a vial into my hands and declaring, "You drink that, and then make _sure_ to eat a good lunch and dinner. Come back after dinner so that I can see if it's done any good." Smiling contentedly while I choked the concoction down, the nurse then turned to Nikolai and proclaimed, "I'll have your potion done in just a few minutes, Mr. Ivanov. I trust that before lunch on Tuesdays will be the regular time?"

"_Da_," the tall boy answered quickly. He blushed a bit and quietly corrected, "Yes. Ma'am. Thank you."

"No trouble at all, my dear," Madam Mary beamed before heading back into her office.

"Do you want us to wait for you?" Bill offered brightly, bouncing a bit on the cot as he gathered his bag and then took mine again before I could protest, "We can walk to lunch together."

Nikolai smiled pleasantly, flicking shimmery black fringe off his forehead. "No, thank you," he answered, "I drink potion very slow or else my stomach is made... eh... unpleasant."

"Oh," said Bill, "Ok. Well, good luck. And nice meeting you."

"You as vell," Nikolai answered, shaking hands with the redhead once more. The Russian turned to me next, his handsome smile and dark, heavy-lashed eyes growing slightly soft as he offered his hand out to me, too. "Goodbye, Ivy," he murmured, "I vill see you tomorrow."

Returning the smile and handshake, I replied, "See ya."

xxXxx

Instead of going straight to lunch, I wanted to go see the twins, and a quick mirror-call to Sirius revealed that they were in his quarters and being supervised by a house-elf named Pryn. Billy was excited to meet the creature, claiming to have never seen one in person before.

I expected to find my brother and sister terrorizing the poor thing, but instead Noah and Judy were actually, blessedly behaving themselves. They seemed to view the wispy little gray-green house-elf as a playmate rather than a babysitter, which made sense seeing as Pryn was only a few inches taller than they were. Pryn also seemed to be rather young. I really had no basis for judging house-elf age, but I just got that impression since she was so lively and unwrinkled.

The twins and Pryn had been finger-painting all afternoon, which I didn't believe at first since there were no tiny handprints on the walls. However, my brother and sister presented me with a still-wet stack of colorful drawings, and the evidence was impossible to ignore.

"These are gorgeous," I gushed, happily cuddling the twins as they showed off their artwork.

"We'we gonna decowate Siwius's woom!" Noah proclaimed with an excited bounce, "Will you help?"

With a laugh, I corrected, "Of course, little guy, but Bill and I are supposed to go to lunch right now. I'll come back right after my next class, ok?"

Pouting, squirming guiltily, Noah softly asked, "Are you mad at us?"

"Why would I be?" I soothed, petting his messy hair and pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"Cuz of the wibbons in Albie's hair," he answered, sending a sad glance toward his sister, "It's not Judy's fault. I made the wibbons. I didn't want them to fall out."

I pieced the situation together rather quickly, unsure of whether to be proud or worried that my brought had performed magic at such a young age, apparently without even really trying. "It's ok, No," I soothed, "I'm not mad." Looking at Judy, sighing, I added, "Guess you're off the hook." I tried not to penalize the twins for not tattling on each other, no matter how annoying and inconvenient it sometimes was. After all, I wouldn't sell out either of them, no matter who asked or what they threatened.

Judy sneered, complaining, "You never play with us anymore!"

"Judy," I sighed, "It's only been two days. We talked about this. I _have_ to go to school."

"No, you don't!" my sister spat, "You're just mean! You don't like us!"

Noah whimpered. His bottom lip wobbled pitifully, and then he started to cry.

xxXxx

Knowing that I would be spending all lunch consoling and reassuring the twins, I sent Bill on his way, told him to save me a seat in Transfiguration. I just barely made it there in time, the front of my robes still damp and snotty from having Noah wail into them for nearly half an hour.

I couldn't concentrate, felt guilty and awful because I loved my brother and sister; they were the most important people in the world to me, and I didn't want them to ever doubt that for a second. But I liked going to school, having friends.

Skipping lunch was a bad idea, but I didn't even think of Madam Mary's warning at the time, had completely forgotten her instruction to eat a solid meal in the wake of Noah's meltdown. By the time dinner came around, I was lightheaded and sick to my stomach, but I didn't make the connection, attributed the shaky, dizzy sensation to my guilt over the situation with the twins.

"Are you alright?" Bill asked, carrying my book bag again as we walked together toward the Great Hall.

I was trying to concentrate on what Bill was saying, but he sounded kind of... wavy. Like I was hearing him from underwater. "I'm fine," I insisted, trying to shake it off, "Just worried about Noah and Judy."

"They'll be ok," my friend soothed, "Charlie was really upset about me going away to school, but I talked to him a lot about it, and he eventually realized that it didn't mean I didn't love him. And it's not even like you're away from your brother and sister that long. You've been seeing them every day."

"I know," I murmured, "But they're little. And they're used to me always being there. Taking care of them every second. They just... they don't understand."

Freya chose that moment to interrupt our quiet conversation, shoving between us and loudly inquiring, "Are you two smarties up for the library after dinner? A bunch of us are getting together to start on the Potions homework."

Rubbing my temple, I replied, "No thanks, I promised my brother and sister I'd play with them before they go to bed."

"_Lame_," Freya declared, elbowing Bill, "How about you? One out of two of the Gryffindor brains won't be so bad."

Bill looked at me, apparently trying to gauge my opinion on the matter.

"Go ahead," I said, not wanting to hold him back, "The twins'll probably appreciate having me to themselves."

Still seeming reluctant, Bill quietly agreed, "Ok."

"Awesome!" chirped Freya, bouncing out ahead of us and walking backwards (making my head spin). She quirked a thin eyebrow at me and declared, "You look like crap."

She always was honest to a fault.

"Thanks," I snapped, in no mood for such bluntness.

Dinner was a blur. I picked at my meal but don't actually remember eating any of it. Probably didn't since I didn't feel at all better afterward. Amidst many concerned frowns, Bill eventually scampered off to the library. I wandered back toward Sirius's quarters, intent on ignoring my obvious aches and nausea.

Somehow, I got lost, completely turned around and so woozy I eventually slid down a wall and sat for some indeterminate interval with my head between my knees.

I must've fallen asleep (or passed out, if you want to get all technical), because the next thing I remember is someone shaking me and calling my name. Slowly opening my eyes, I peered blearily upward and found Nikolai standing over me, eerily beautiful features twisted with concern.

"Ivy?" he questioned softly, "You are ok? You are hurt?"

"Give her some air, Kolya," one of the two pretty, dark-haired girls behind him instructed. She wore stacks of silver bangles on both slim wrists and silver barrettes holding back her neat bangs. The other wore no jewelry at all, her dark hair cut short and messy like mine.

I blinked at all three of them, vaguely registering that I felt worse, that my arm was throbbing again as I hoarsely asked, "What's goin on?"

"You tell us," the taller, short-haired girl quipped, arms folded over her flat chest and her bored gaze elsewhere, "We just found you."

"Oh," I said, quickly piecing together the last of my hazy memories. I fought my way to my feet, Nikolai hovering nervously. "I was lost and must've dozed off," I reported, "Thanks for waking me. I... where are we?"

Nikolai blushed and answered, "Eh, ve are lost also, trying to find owlery so ve could write to our father."

"We're not _lost_," the bored girl insisted. She had the same dark, thick-lashed eyes as Nikolai. And as I looked closer, I realized that the bangles girl did, too.

My sluggish brain catching up with the information that had been provided, I declared, "You two must be Nikolai's sisters."

"_Da_," the bangles girl chirped with a sweet smile, offering a dainty, well-manicured hand, "Tatiana Ivanova. Pleased to make your acquaintance." She did have a slight Eastern-European accent, but, like Nikolai had mentioned earlier, she spoke perfect English.

"Nice to meet you," I replied, reaching out to shake, "I'm Ivy Sennen."

"I'm Yelena," the bored girl cut in, giving my hand a rather fierce pump. Her accent was almost completely unnoticeable, her palm rough with obvious quidditch callouses. "Now, can we get out of here, please?" she added, "I sort of had plans."

"Trying to break into the broom shed is not _plans_," Tatiana argued as we began to walk.

To give myself something to focus on while the world swayed violently, I inquired, "Why are you breaking in? Can't you just ask someone to open it for you?"

Yelena rolled her eyes at me and snapped, "First years aren't allowed, but there's no way I'm going months without getting on a broom. That's just sick!"

We kept wandering; we kept talking. All three of the Ivanovs had the same father and different mothers. Nikolai was the only one who was full Russian. Tatiana was half Romanian, and Yelena was half Bulgarian. Nikolai's mother was dead, so he lived with their father most of the year, but he also spent many months with his sisters' families. Tatiana and her mother lived on a dragon reserve in Romania, and Yelena and her mother split their time between Bulgaria and New York City. Tatiana's mother was a dragon tamer, and Yelena's was a dancer.

Eventually, we reached a familiar landmark and managed to find our way back to the front door. I was stumbling and shaky, so Nikolai told his sisters to go ahead to the owlery while he took me to the infirmary.

"You don't have to," I argued most of the way there, "I-I'm fine. I'll be fine. It's not that far."

Watching me skeptically, towering and keeping a steady hand between my shoulder blades, Nikolai argued, "You are not vell. I make sure you get there." A few more steps and he asked, "You eat like Madame Mary told?"

I had to think about it for a few moments but eventually shook my head, murmuring, "I forgot. My brother was upset. He was crying. And I felt sick at dinner, so... no."

"Should alvays do vhat the healer says," Nikolai instructed, "Especially vith taking potions. Some vill not vork properly othervise."

I just nodded.

xxXxx

I was fine after a few hours in Madame Mary's care, after a hearty meal and another couple potions. My arm even healed almost completely, leaving only some very faint, thin scars. Sirius came down to fuss and scold, but ultimately escorted me back to Gryffindor Tower around midnight.

Bill was still up.

"Ivy!" he cried, rushing to trap me in a hug, "Where were you? I looked everywhere! And nobody knew where you were, and I looked all over right up until curfew, and then Filch chased me back here, but I still couldn't find you, and the girls said you weren't in the dorm, and I'm so glad you're alright!"

"Easy, Casanova," Sirius interrupted, ruffling my hair, "Ivy is fine, but she needs to go to bed."

I nodded tiredly against my guardian's side.

Frowning sadly and kicking at the carpet, Bill sighed, "Oh. Ya. That's a good idea... I'll meet you down here tomorrow before breakfast, ok?"

"Uh huh," I yawned, giving out sleepy hugs before stumbling off to my dorm. I barely even remember collapsing into bed.

xxXxx

In a rare role reversal, I ended up talking most of the way to breakfast while Billy just listened intently. I told him all about what had happened the day before, from the time we parted to meeting up again in the common room. He scolded me just like Sirius and Nikolai had, but I was feeling a lot better, so I didn't even mind.

Since none of the first years had lessons until ten-thirty, the majority of the class hung out in the Great Hall, chatting and laughing and occasionally working on some homework. Since I'd have his lesson next, Sirius dropped the twins off with me before heading off to teach. Most of my classmates were absolutely smitten with the pair in seconds. Noah and Judy got to be fussed and cooed over, got to be the center of attention; Noah showed off how he could count to _any_ number anybody wanted, and Judy told all about her daring exploits defeating the headmaster's phoenix...

"Well, that's an interesting interpretation of events," Billy commented with a quiet laugh, tugging on his previously mangled ear.

I chuckled and agreed, "Judy has been known to rewrite history as it suits her."

We both shuffled through our Charms notes for a few moments before Billy sat up and chirped, "Oh! I almost forgot! Marcy Turner said she'd get us some brooms if we wanted to go flying with her tomorrow morning."

"Cool," I replied. Thinking of Yelena and her quest to break into the equipment shed, I asked, "Do you think we could bring Nikolai's sister with us? She really wants to go flying."

Billy shrugged and said, "I'll ask, but it'll probably be fine. Marcy's really nice."

"Awesome," I beamed.

xxXxx

Marcy was fine with having an extra first-year tagalong; well, she seemed a little wary when we showed up with an excited Slytherin in tow, but the older girl didn't say anything and warmed to Lena quickly. They were both hardcore quidditch junkies and had a lot in common.

I wasn't anywhere near as talented as the others, but we did manage a two-on-two scrimmage. We got so caught up that we almost missed breakfast and barely had time to scramble into the Charms classroom before the lesson began. Again, Bill and I couldn't find seats together, and, again, I ended up next to Arista Ness.

"How's your arm?" she murmured, almost too quiet to hear.

Kind of startled that the normally silent girl was trying to start a conversation (we'd been in the same group in Sirius's class the day before for a lesson on cursed objects, and she hadn't said a single word), I answered, "Oh. Um. It's alright. Thanks... how's your... homework? Did you get number three? Billy and I took forever to find the answer."

"I got it," she replied.

That was the extent of our chat. Flitwick's arrival a few minutes later was a blessed end to the interminable awkwardness.

xxXxx

The remainder of my first week actually passed without any more injuries or excitement. On Friday morning, Bill thought that his owl egg might be hatching and dragged me down to Hagrid's at an obscenely early hour, but it turned out that the "crack" was actually just a bit of dark hair (likely Tracy's) that had stuck to the shell.

I was glad for the weekend and planned on spending yet more time with my brother and sister, reassuring them that they were still loved and wanted. Sirius had other ideas.

"I heard the Gryffindor firsties are all hanging out near the lake today," he declared as we ate breakfast together in his quarters that Saturday, "Don't you want to go?"

Shaking my head and wiping syrup off Noah's chin, I answered, "I'd rather stay here."

Sirius sighed. "You know we love spending time with you," he declared gently, "But we also want you to make friends. Just go for a few hours. The twins and I will head into Hogsmeade or something. Take Scarlet out for a drive."

Apparently he'd actually been reading some of the many parenting books that Remus had given him, and those books all said that socialization was important for kids.

"Really," he continued, "I think it'll be good for you to make more friends your own age. And then we can all have dinner together and you can tell us about your day. I'll even get us some pizza."

"Yay!" Judy crowed, "Pizza!"

Noah ecstatically agreed, "Pizza!"

I wouldn't be surprised to hear that the twins briefly forgot they even _had_ an older sister.

So much for abandonment issues.

And that was how I ended up walking down toward the lake with Bill and the other Gryffindor first-years. Wearing a bathing suit wasn't very easy with the scars on my back, but luckily Sirius had found one for me that covered the majority of them. And I'd already claimed to have very sensitive skin, hence the t-shirt over the suit to prevent sun damage. Even though I still hadn't told him the origin of the scars, Bill very graciously backed up the story.

"I hope we get to see the Giant Squid!" Bill proclaimed, excitedly bouncing around in circles while everyone else set up.

"I saw it on the boat ride," declared Noel, "Touched my face. Seriously." He stuck to his story despite vigorous eye-rolling from Tracy, who had been seated next to the boy during the journey and claimed that it had only been a bit of algae stirred up by the oars.

Kat and Hannah and Connie had seen fit to secure a generous array of snacks, and Freya had a fanged Frisbee, so the first several hours passed pleasantly enough with games and food and relaxed conversation. I really was making friends, and as weird as that was, it was also kind of cool.

It wasn't until someone brought up the subject of Sirius that the day become anything but enjoyable.

"I like him," said Marco, shirtless and cross-legged, dark face blissfully turned toward the sunshine, "He's funny. It's too bad about the curse."

"Curse?" I demanded warily, "What curse?"

All the kids who already knew had guilt flash across their expressions. The rest of us just waited anxiously for explanation.

"It's silly," Hannah declared, "Just a coincidence, really."

Of course I wasn't satisfied with that and waited insistently for more.

Freya finally piped up, unflinching as she announced, "No Defense teacher has lasted more than a year since... forever. Usually they end up dying or going mad or getting hurt. Why did you think the position was open? Only people with balls of steel will even risk it anymore."

I could feel the color draining out of my cheeks, my stomach churning with panic. Of course Sirius would have to go and accept a cursed position. And of course it was all my fault. If I hadn't been such a hopeless coward, such a selfish brat, then he would've been safe at home and enjoying his life.

"Don't worry, Ivy," Billy soothed, slinging an arm around my shoulders. He already looked sunburned behind all his darkening freckles but still had a comforting smile, "Not all the Defense professors go out badly. And I'm sure Sirius is _way_ too smart to let something happen to him. Maybe he'll even be the one to break it."

Billy's ridiculous optimism always did make me feel a little better. But it was hardly enough to push the fear completely from my mind, even when Kat facilitated a surprisingly tactful subject change. We all managed to spend the rest of the day with no more talk of curses, only swimming and wrestling and several unsubstantiated Giant Squid sightings.

Later, eating pizza in Sirius's quarters, I asked if he'd heard about the curse.

I knew he had just from the way he stopped with his slice dangling above his open mouth.

"Oh, kiddo," he sighed, "There's no curse."

"There's a new professor every year," I argued, picking at my own meal with little interest, "Since forever."

Sirius deftly wiped his hands and then tugged me against his side. He offered a reassuring smile and insisted, "There are a lot of different reasons for that. Dumbledore's hired a rash of explorers and duelers and such. Their leaving has had more to do with short attention spans and willingness to take foolish risks than any curse. Besides, the rate of dying and going mad is not as bad as everyone says. Five out of seven of my Defense professors left safe and sane. Three got better jobs, one got pregnant, and one decided to move back home to Morocco to look after his parents. So you see? You've got nothing to worry about."

After a moment of thought, I hesitantly asked, "What about the other two?"

"Well," Sirius said, coughing uncomfortably, "One had a heart attack and died, but he was really, really old. That probably would've happened anyways. The other... uh... developed an... allergy."

I raised an eyebrow and waited for more information.

Finally, fighting a guilty smirk, my delightful guardian declared, "She developed an allergy to teenage hormones."

Because it sounded ridiculous, I waited again for more information.

"She had it out for us, alright?" he hurriedly defended, "She made our whole third year completely awful. And she was dumb as dung, too, so it wasn't hard to convince her. Last I heard, the old bat holed herself up in Florida in some retirement community to avoid risk of contamination, but she's alive and kicking."

Sniggering at Sirius's youthful antics, I snuggled into his embrace and stated, "At least you don't have to worry about being tricked like that. Everyone I've talked to thinks that you're a great teacher."

"Tell that to the fifth-years," he grumbled, "I'm still afraid to turn my back on my Ravenclaw-Slytherin class. I just know that they're going to start dueling again as soon as I do."

I was relaxed. I wasn't really thinking about anything more than making conversation when I asked, "What are they fighting about?"

Sirius, too, didn't seem to have fully thought out what the subject would bring up. "Er..." he began slowly, "One of the Ravenclaws, Alex Ferris, he was... I guess he was good friends with Dimitri. A Slytherin said something nasty about your cousin. Ferris didn't take too kindly to the comment."

"Oh," I whispered. For awhile, I just tried not to think about my murdered cousin, just watched Noah and Judy playing happily, obliviously in front of the fire.

"You alright, kiddo?" Sirius finally inquired.

I nodded absently.

xxXxx

The plan began brewing in my mind that night but didn't solidify until much later: I wanted to talk to Alex Ferris. He'd been Dimitri's friend, a good one if his willingness to defend Dimitri's memory was any indication. And I hadn't gotten to know my cousin that well; speaking with someone who had seemed... right.

Bill, Yelena, and I spent every morning that week flying with Marcy Turner, who was also a fifth year and casually acquainted with Alex Ferris. She described him as "your typical Ravenclaw stereotype, quiet but pleasant, witty when he wants to be but generally lacking social skills, smart almost to the point of being bloody obnoxious. Never been in trouble before, so I was surprised that he had anything to do with that fight in Defense. Why do you ask?"

"He was friends with my cousin," I answered softly. After a beat, I added, "My cousin was Dimitri Dolohov. He would've been a fourth-year, but he was killed over the summer."

Marcy's face fell, her hand shooting out to give my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I'm so sorry," said the slim blonde, "I heard about that. It's a shame. He seemed like a nice kid. Definitely not your typical Slytherin." She turned briefly to Yelena and added, "No offense. I just always figured he was one of the ones who asked to be sorted that way so his family wouldn't disown him or something stupid."

Nodding, I agreed, "Ya, that's probably exactly what happened. His mother is a total psycho."

"Antonin Dolohov was his father?" Yelena asked quietly, glancing around for any prying eyes or ears. After I confirmed the suspicion, she stated, "Antonin Dolohov is a Death Eater."

"Don't accuse people without proof," hissed Marcy, also glancing around in case anyone was around listening to our discussion, "Even when you have proof, it's not safe to say shit like that out loud."

Yelena shrugged. She didn't seem particularly concerned. There were rumors surrounding her own father's dark dealings, so of course I couldn't help wondering about how she had come across her information.

Bill, who had thus far been uncharacteristically silent, chirped, "Well, my Uncle Gideon and Uncle Fabian are aurors. They're going to catch all the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord and make sure that none of them hurts anybody ever again."

Marcy and Yelena both rolled their eyes at the boy's naiveté.

Though I knew I shouldn't, I just really wanted to believe him.

xxXxx

I had no idea what Alex Ferris looked like, so I was rather startled when he emerged seamlessly from the shadows as Bill and I were walking back from Astronomy in the very early hours of Friday morning.

"You wanted to talk to me," said the gangly teen, suddenly falling into step.

I jumped back far enough to get a good look at him, his wiry, almost petite body and neat brown hair and thick black glasses, faded Rolling Stones t-shirt and tattered jeans hanging loose from his scrawny frame. It took a moment, but I pieced together his likely identity before Bill had a chance to get all chivalrous. "Alex Ferris?" I asked softly.

He blushed. "Ya," said the young man, giving the back of his skinny neck a nervous squeeze, "Sorry. Alex Ferris." He offered his free hand. "Nice to meet you. Ivy, right? Marcy said you wanted to talk to me. About Dimitri."

With a hesitant smile, I replied, "If you don't mind." The bones in his hand felt especially fragile, hollow like a bird's. He had other bird-like features as well: a sharp nose and chin, a skittish gaze and hunched shoulders, stick-thin legs.

He returned a sad, crooked grin. "Of course," the teen agreed. After shooting Bill a nervous glance, Alex suggested, "You probably have to get back to your dorm, but I, uh, usually eat lunch outside the library. So, you know, whenever. Ok?"

"Sounds good," I confirmed, "I'll see you later today then."

Nodding, slightly shocked that I'd actually accepted the offer, Alex said, "Right. Ya. See you."

And then he was gone.

"Kind of a... twitchy bloke," Bill commented, no real judgment in his voice.

I agreed, "A bit. But I only ever got a few hours with Dimitri. I just want to know more about what he was like."

Bill stated, "I understand. Do you want me to go with you, or would you rather do it on your own?"

I thought about his offer, and about how sweet my best friend was. Finally, I decided, "Thanks, but I'll go alone. It'll probably be easier that way."

xxXxx

Not that it would've been much better had Bill tagged along, but nothing about my meeting with Alex Ferris could be described as "easy."

Nearly everyone at Hogwarts normally ate their meals, particularly lunch, in the Great Hall. Those who didn't were a very small minority of lone wolves, social outcasts, and hardcore nerds.

Alex Ferris could be easily classified under all three headings. While generally polite, he was cynical bordering on misanthropic. He was also uncomfortable in crowds and overachieved like a madman.

And all these facts were relatively well known to much of the school's population. Also well known was exactly where to find the lad during lunch. This was not good news for a person who'd just managed to piss off almost an entire house.

I turned the corner and spotted Alex, waving and receiving no acknowledgement from the skinny figured jackknifed tightly into a stony window nook. The lack of response wasn't surprising; most of his face was buried inside a thick book.

So he didn't see me or the pack of Slytherins advancing from the other end of the hallway.

There were nearly a dozen all together, but I only recognized two: Rigel Emmett, a slimy brunette from my own year, and Mortimer Travers, an ashy blonde fourth-year to whom my mother's family had attempted to sell me. _Betrothal_ they called it, like the quaint old euphemism in any way disguises slavery.

The rest of the boys, and one girl, were older, mostly probably fifth-years but perhaps even a few sixths and sevenths. They all had their wands out and looked pretty damn pissed, excited that their masterplan was about to go into effect.

Before I could think of much of a strategy, I found myself shouting, "Alex! Look out!"

Stupidly, Alex turned toward me, leaving his back completely exposed to the _Petrificus Totalus_ already jetting in his direction. The spell hit, and Alex toppled hard directly onto his face, smashing his glasses and nose against the floor.

"Get her!" someone ordered as the crowd fell upon Alex with a flurry of kicks. Mortimer and Rigel, clearly the youngest and lowest ranked, both broke away from the group and advanced on me.

I'm sure that they expected me to run, but I didn't. In the past, all I'd had with which to hold off bullies was my daddy's old pocket knife. Now that I had a wand and, courtesy of Sirius, knowledge of quite a few defensive and offensive spells, the situation didn't seem particularly frightening.

"Hello again, love," Travers cooed as he and Rigel circled, "I was hoping I'd get a chance to pay you back for punching me over the summer."

Still, I held my ground, coolly murmuring, "Now's your chance, shit-for-brains. If you think you can."

Both boys laughed, Rigel commenting, "Bravery is one thing, but you've got to be a complete idiot to think you can fight us. You're completely outnumbered."

I grinned, teasing, "Sure about that?"

To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure that my sudden stroke of inspiration would work. But there were few other viable options for rescuing myself or Alex. Certainly none that were half as amusing to imagine. Stealthily, I pointed my wand against my thigh and began whispering duplicating charms as rapidly as I could manage.

The copies were flimsy but effective, rushing forward and startling Rigel and Mortimer so badly that they didn't manage to react right away, that they didn't manage to keep track of which one of the hallway full of Ivys was the original.

So when they finally gathered their limited wits and started firing off curses, the two young Slytherins only managed to hit a few of the chaotic mob of wispy doubles. I stunned both before either seemed to fully realize what was happening.

And with all the older Slytherins busy kicking Alex while he was down, I remained unnoticed for long enough to advance on the mob and fire off yet more stunners.

The odds still weren't good, but they were getting a bit more even. Soon it was just me against two of the older boys and the older girl. They also seemed startled by my presence, by the fact that I had already dispatched with so many of their little crew.

Of course, that probably would've been the moment when the fight stopped going in my favor. I really didn't have another move. My spell knowledge was good for a first-year but still basic, certainly no match for a pack of vicious Slytherins. And Shield Charms would've only saved me for so long.

Fortunately, Peeves had arrived. And while he generally didn't care much for student squabbles (unless he was instigating them), the outlandish poltergeist had been previously enlisted by Sirius to both spare me from pranks and to keep an eye on my wellbeing.

Their mutually respectful relationship dated back to the Marauders' own school days and certainly came in handy.

"Sneaky Snakes make Ferris's poor head ache!" sang Peeves as he darted about overhead, gleefully pelting my squeamish enemies with handfuls of something unidentifiable and incredibly foul, "Good thing the wee girl is here to save his behind! For without his behind, then where would he store his clever little mind?"

"UGH!" the girl shrieked, stumbling away with her cronies as they all tried to shield themselves with their arms, "You're _dead_, Peeves!"

"More alive than you, Miss Rina with the Weina!" the garishly bow-tied Poltergeist cackled in reply. In only moments, he and all my conscious attackers had fled from sight. The threats and swears continued to echo down the hallway for quite some time.

I released Alex, who groaned feebly, curling into a ball and coughing up blood. "Should I get the nurse?" I questioned softly, afraid that even a casual touch might cause him yet more agony.

Impressively alert for one so injured, Alex shook his head. "Be fine," he rasped, gingerly pulling a shard of glass out of his cheek, "Can walk." After a very painful looking struggle, he finally did manage to stand.

He still had to be mostly carried to the Hospital Wing. Madame Mary was out to lunch, but a peppy trainee quickly fixed the lad up almost as good as new. Unfortunately, she also insisted that he needed to stay and rest, alone, so the conversation that I'd sought would have to wait for another day.

Disturbed and disheartened, I took advantage of being done with classes for the week and wandered off to spend some time with my brother and sister. They were of course thrilled to see me, babbling excitedly about everything that had happened to them since I'd last visited. Even though I'd visited just that morning, each had a novel worth of goings-on to list in great detail.

Sirius mirror-called me, reporting that he was needed at an Order meeting that night. "_I probably won't be home until late_," he said, trying to hide nervousness about the unexpected summons, "_Prynn will stay with Noah and Judy if you want to go to bed before I'm back_."

"I'll be fine," I insisted. Really, sometimes he acted like I hadn't been their primary caregiver since they were born.

With a laugh, Sirius agreed, "_I don't doubt it, kiddo. Just letting you know that you have options_."

Almost as soon as we hung up, I got yet another mirror-call, this time from a frantic Bill demanding to know where I was, if I was alright. Even repeated assurance of my safety didn't satisfy the boy, and he arrived very quickly, still upset.

"Hannah said that you fought a bunch of Slytherins!" he announced, throwing his arms around me and squeezing hard so hard that I could barely breathe, "And that Alex Ferris was in the Hospital Wing! What happened?"

I told him. His green eyes just kept getting huger and huger until they were nearly twice their normal diameter. Then he laughed, "No way that happened."

Shrugging, I replied, "It's not like I planned it."

My friend sprawled across the fluffy black rug in front of the hearth and snickered, "Well, at least no one's ever going to doubt that you're in the right house."

I stretched out beside him, momentarily closing my eyes.

We shared a rare moment of silence before Billy began chattering. "I'm just glad you're ok," he reported, sitting up again, fidgeting restlessly before sending out a nervous, "It would be terrible if anything bad happened to you. Uncle Gid and Uncle Fabe said that a lot of the Slytherins are future Death Eaters. Some of them have even already joined."

"How can you decide to devote your life to evil when you aren't even out of school yet?" I questioned bluntly, only really half paying attention as I listened to Noah and Judy spouting off gibberish in their bedroom.

The comment made Bill chuckle as he replied, "A time-honored tradition of inbreeding and brainwashing seems to do the trick." Bill spent the next few minutes squirming and fidgeting in a futile attempt to find a comfortable position.

Finally, his discomfort spread to me, and I sat up, folding my legs and smirking across at my restless friend. I inquired, "Something on your mind?"

He barely waited for me to finish the question before blurting, "You said you would tell me about your scars. Someday. It's ok if you still don't want to. But I just... I was wondering."

I shrugged, gazing off into the fire as I explained, "Before I lived with Sirius, I lived with my aunt in California. The scars are from her. She really hated me."

"Bloody awful," Bill said with an outraged frown, "And stupid! How could anyone hate you? You're smart, and nice, and brave, and tough, and funny, and pretty-" He cut himself off, his whole face turning beet red. Then, before I could properly appreciate the implications of his slipup, Billy leaned forward and kissed me.

It was definitely one of those awkward "first kiss" kisses, a slightly off-target bump of lips, over in a split second. Bill's blush somehow managed to darken impossibly further as he blurted, "Sorry."

I felt my own cheeks get hot, unable to meet my friend's gaze as I murmured, "That's ok." The jittery, knotted feeling made yet another appearance in the pit of my stomach, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant. And I found myself fighting a grin.

Unfortunately, Bill was so flustered that he immediately jumped to his feet, shuffling a bit and stammering, "Well, I... uh... I should get back to... dorm. I mean... sleep. Tomorrow. Breakfast. You and me? Ok? Ok. Bye."

And then he was gone.

And I was left to contemplate the mystery of the male of the species.

xxxxxxxxxx

I wish there were a Miss Awkward Sunburn pageant. Because I would enter and win that sweet, sweet scholarship moneys.

Anyways, reviews are awesome like aloe with lidocaine: I would probably trade my firstborn for a vat of it to soak in right about now :)


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